Waiting Is The Hardest Part
by PattiL61
Summary: Sequel to Arrival Overdue. Chapter 23 is up. STORY COMPLETE. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for all the great feedback!
1. Chapter 1

Waiting Is The Hardest Part  
  
Chapter 1  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was a quiet afternoon so far. Too quiet. Both Bosco and Faith were just waiting for the proverbial "shoe" to drop. It was Friday and Jennifer and the kids would be coming down first thing in the morning to spend the weekend in the City. Emily Yokas was going to babysit while Bosco, Jennifer, Faith and Fred went out to dinner and a show.  
  
Bosco was thinking of the mess that he'd left the apartment in when he left for work. He'd gotten home last night late from work and just kind of left his clothes where he'd taken them off on his way to collapse into bed after a particularly awful shift. He'd just barely managed to wake up, talk with Jennifer briefly, and get to work on time this afternoon - leaving dirty dishes in the sink and the previous night's clothes still on the floor. He'd definitely have to go home tonight and clean up before they showed up in the morning...  
  
"Dammit!" Bosco shouted as the loud beeping from his cell phone that was clipped to the sun visor above his head made him jump and grab the steering wheel tighter. He grabbed the phone from the visor.  
  
"Again?" Faith said as she watched him try to respond to the two-way radio function on the cell phone and get no response back. He opened the phone and dialed Jennifer's number, getting no answer. He left a voice mail message.   
  
"Hey, Jen. It's me. Remember, we talked about figuring out a better place to keep your phone when you're in the OR? Apparently something in your locker is pressing against your phone because it's been 'alerting' me for the last two hours. Anyway, give me a call when you get this message and let me know when you and the kids are heading down. Faith said she can't wait for tomorrow night," Bosco said into the phone. "Love you," he said before hanging up.  
  
He looked at the phone again before clipping it back onto the visor. He used to carry his phone in his jacket pocket or clipped to his belt, but since getting the phone with the two-way radio feature, Jennifer had made him promise to leave it in the car while he's working. She was afraid that she'd call him at a bad time and he'd be distracted while trying to apprehend some bad guy, putting himself and Faith in danger. This way, if he didn't answer her it was because he was tied up with something. The phone was great in that they could talk to each other like they were using a walkie talkie instead of running up phone bills when he was at work.  
  
"Is Jennifer operating all day today?" Faith asked him as she watched the sidewalks looking for trouble.  
  
"Yeah. That's why she's not driving down tonight. She's got like three major cases today, plus any emergencies that come in. She's gonna be wiped out and doesn't want to drive with the kids in the car when she's like that," he explained as a young driver sailed through a yellow-to-red light at the intersection and realized too late that there was a police car right there.  
  
Bosco grinned as he looked over at his partner. "And so it begins," he said, reaching over to flip on the emergency lights and follow the offending driver.  
  
"You really enjoy your job too much, you know, Bos?" Faith teased as Bosco accelerated.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
They had just finished their meal break and Bosco grabbed his phone and looked at it to make sure he didn't miss Jennifer's call. "Nothing," he said out loud, more to himself than Faith.  
  
"She hasn't called you back yet, huh?" Faith said as they walked outside and toward their RMP, noting the faint worried look in her partner's face. "Maybe she didn't get the message. Maybe her phone's dead from alerting you all day and she doesn't realize it yet," Faith offered.  
  
Bosco looked at his watch, noted that it was around 7:00, and paused to look around the street. He wasn't actually looking for signs of trouble - it was more like he was looking for reasons that he hadn't heard from Jennifer yet. "No. The phone's the first thing she checks when she's done at work - to see if there's any message about the kids or from me," he told her.  
  
He flipped his phone open and dialed. He got the answering machine at the house and couldn't help but smile at the sound of Jordan's voice informing the world that there was no possible way they could get the phone right now, but to leave a message and they would call back. The message finished with a screech from Jason, who was only about eight months old when the recording was made.   
  
"Hey, Jen. It's me. Uh, haven't heard from you yet. Just wondering what the plans are for the morning. Give me a call. Doesn't matter how late," he said, hanging up the phone.  
  
"She must still be at the hospital. Mrs. Jennings, the sitter, must have brought the kids to Jen's sister's house until she gets home," Bosco told Faith, the nagging feeling still poking at him.  
  
He opened the phone again and dialed the hospital, getting the operator. "Could you tell me if Dr. Boscorelli is still in the hospital? This is her husband," he said into the phone.  
  
While the operator paged Jennifer, he and Faith climbed into the RMP. Faith decided to drive for the second half of their shift.  
  
"No. No message," he said into the phone and hung up, immediately dialing her cell phone number. There was no answer there either so he left another message to call him.  
  
"She wouldn't have decided to drive down to surprise you, would she?" Faith asked him.  
  
"I don't think so. She didn't think she'd get out of the OR until at least 5:00 - and that's not including any emergencies," Bosco said, dialing his sister-in-law's number.  
  
When the phone was answered on the other end, he determined that his sister-in-law did not have the kids since Jen picked them up about 3:30 when her last surgical case got canceled because the patient had developed other medical problems that had to be dealt with first. As far as her sister knew, Jennifer didn't mention that she was leaving tonight to go to the City.  
  
"Okay. No. I'm sure it's nothing. She probably took the kids out for dinner and a movie or something and turned her phone off in the theater. Yeah. If you hear from her ask her to call me. Thanks. G'night," Bosco said into the phone.   
  
"Hmm," he said, puzzled as the radio came to life, sending them on a call for a group of kids acting up outside of a store on King Boulevard. He absently grabbed the radio and answered, "10-4. 55-Dave responding to King Boulevard."  
  
As Faith pointed the car in the direction of the call, the nagging feeling kept nagging at Bosco.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	2. Chapter 2

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part  
  
Chapter 2  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jennifer slowly opened her eyes and felt immediate pounding behind her eyes. The room was dark and she had no idea how long she'd been there. She looked around as much as she could without moving too much and slowly realized that she was in the foyer of her house. As soon as her brain connected with the information that she was in her own home, a shot of terror ran through her and she sat up quickly, looking frantically around the room. Immediate pain flashed through her head, followed by nausea and dizziness at the sudden movement and she closed her eyes to the pain.  
  
"Jordan!" she called out, hoping to hear the young girl answer her. Getting no response, she yelled again, "Jordan!" Terror coursed through her and she brought her hand to the side of her head, pulling it away with a sticky substance. She opened an eye and saw that her hand was covered with blood.  
  
"Jordan! Jason!" she called out frantically again, maneuvering so that she was on her hands and knees. The wave of nausea she felt at her movement told her that she had, at the very least, a concussion. As she crawled from the foyer toward the kitchen for the phone, she tried desperately to remember what had happened.   
  
She continued to call out for the kids as she made her way to the phone - she'd recalled that her cell phone was dead when she came out of the O.R. this afternoon. Funny how she could remember that, but not what happened to get her in this predicament or where her children were. Tears sprang to her eyes as she thought the worst about her kids' well being.  
  
She tried to focus on the clock on the microwave, but was unable to see the numbers clearly. It was pretty dark, so she was certain she'd been unconscious for awhile. Reaching the floor to the kitchen she scrambled as quickly as she could toward the wall with the phone. She grabbed onto the edge of the wall and pulled herself to her feet as quickly as she could. The quick movement caused her dizziness to worsen and now the blood from the cut to her head began to drip into her eye. She reached for and found the light switch, flipping it on. She cried out at the pain that the brightness of the light caused her and turned it back off again.  
  
Now, with sobs stuck in her throat she called out again for Jordan or Jason. Still no answer was received as she reached for the phone. Removing the cordless phone from its cradle she tried to focus on the buttons, but felt the room go darker. She passed out again before she could dial her husband.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Faith followed Bosco's rapid footsteps into the station. Arriving at the front desk, he gruffly asked the officer behind the desk for the number for Albany P.D. After receiving the number, he scribbled it on a piece of paper and strode up the stairs to a quiet office. Faith paused momentarily to apologize for Bosco's rudeness and then followed up the stairs. She almost ran into Lieutenant Swersky as he rounded the hallway corner.  
  
"Yokas. What's going on?" the Lieutenant asked, wondering why the two were not out on the street. He glanced quickly at the clock, noting that it was only 9:30. His gaze then traveled to the holding cells which happened to be empty right now so he knew they weren't here with an arrest.  
  
"Oh, uh, hi Lieu. Bosco's having trouble getting hold of Jennifer and the kids. No one's seen her and he can't get hold of her on her cell," Faith explained. "He's giving Albany a call to have them drive by the house."  
  
The Lieutenant looked to his left and saw Bosco dialing the phone. "How long's he been trying to get hold of her?"  
  
"Well, she picked the kids up from her sister at about 3:30. No one's seen or heard from her since," Faith said.  
  
The Lieutenant nodded and looked back at Bosco, tapping the pen on the piece of paper in front of him as he waited for someone to answer the phone. "Let me know," he told Faith before continuing on to his office.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**  
  
"Albany Police Department, Division 2, Officer Murphy," came the voice from the other end of the phone.  
  
"Yeah, Officer Murphy. This is Officer Boscorelli, NYPD. I'm trying to get hold of my wife, Jennifer Boscorelli - she's a doctor at Albany Med. I can't reach her on the cell and she left the hospital and picked the kids up from her sister's house at about 3:30. I was wondering if someone could take a run past the house and just check on them?" he asked as Faith came into the room.   
  
"Sure. No problem. Just give me the address and I'll send a unit right over there," Officer Murphy told him.  
  
Bosco gave him the address. "Thanks, and could you have your guy tell her to give me a call ASAP?"  
  
"You bet. Why don't you give me your number too, so I can give you a call just in case we run into any problems," Murphy requested. Bosco gave him his cell phone number.  
  
"Hey, thanks," Bosco said before hanging up. He looked over to see Faith sitting down in the chair next to him. "Albany P.D. is gonna take a run over to the house and check things out," he told her, still tapping the pen on the desk nervously.  
  
Faith nodded. "Why don't you tell Swersky you're taking some lost time and head up there," Faith said, the bad feeling now migrating to her. She looked Bosco in the eye and saw the fear that he'd been able to keep just below the surface. After a moment, he nodded and got up to tell the Lieutenant he was leaving.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
TBC... 


	3. Chapter 3

Waiting Is The Hardest Part  
  
Chapter 3  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jordan woke to the sound of her brother crying. Rubbing her eyes, she wondered what was going on. She remembered stopping for dinner on the way home from Aunt Kathy's house, and that they had to leave early because Mommy said she didn't feel well. Jennifer didn't really ask her how her day was, which was unusual because Jennifer always liked to hear what Jordan did every day. It was like a ritual with them. Because of the unusual quiet during the drive, and after playing outside with her cousins all afternoon because they only had a half a day of school, she'd fallen asleep on the way home. She didn't even hear her mother get out of the car after pulling it in the garage.  
  
Finally, her brother had woken her up when he started crying. Jason was always doing that. Mommy always said that was what babies were supposed to do and he didn't do it to be mean.  
  
Jordan was scared at first because it was dark and her mother hadn't turned any lights on. She got out of the car and turned the garage light on. She shushed her brother and told him she'd be right back. She opened the door to the house from the garage and noticed there still weren't any lights on.   
  
"Mommy?" she called, almost in a whisper at first. She walked through the house, turning lights on and off as she went. She came to the slate floor by the front door and saw something red on the floor. "Mommy?" she called again, a little louder this time. No answer. She heard her brother crying in the garage again and she turned to cut through the kitchen to go back to him. That's when she saw her mother, lying on the floor, the phone next to her. It looked like she was sleeping.  
  
Jordan knelt down alongside her just as she saw a light come across the front windows of the house. "Mommy?" she said, shaking Jennifer this time. She didn't wake up. Then she saw the cut on Jennifer's head.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**  
  
Bosco finished changing and grabbed his jacket as he headed for the locker room door.  
  
"Give me a call later, Bos," Faith told him as she watched her partner head for the door. He didn't answer and she called to him as he reached the door.  
  
"Bosco!" He turned back toward her, but she could see he was distracted.  
  
"Yeah?" he said, not realizing that she'd already said something to him.  
  
"I said give me a call when you get home. You know, so I know everything's okay. You know I'm a worry wart," she told him with a strained smile.  
  
He gave her a half-hearted smile. "Yeah. Sure. I'll give you a call after I talk to Jen. You gonna be okay alone tonight?" he asked her, worried about sending her back out on patrol alone for the rest of the shift.  
  
"Piece of cake," she assured him.  
  
Faith watched her partner walk out and couldn't help the eerie feeling she had that made her shiver. She grabbed her jacket and headed back out to finish her shift alone.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
The police car rolled slowly up to the house and pulled into the driveway. The officer positioned his spotlight over the front of the house and then settled it on the doorway. He noticed there was a light on in the garage of the house and another inside.  
  
"Unit 109. I'm out at the location on Somerset Avenue. There's a couple of lights on in the house. I'll be out attempting to make contact with the resident," the officer advised the dispatcher.  
  
"10-4, 109," the dispatcher answered.  
  
Officer Donnelly opened his car door and listened for a moment. No sounds, except for a dog barking next door. He walked toward the front of the house, taking his flashlight out of his belt. Clicking it on, he walked up the driveway and to the front walk. The dog next door barked more forcefully and a light came on in the yard next door.  
  
"Easy, fella," the Officer said gently to the dog as he heard the door next door open.  
  
"Officer?" came a woman's voice.  
  
"What's going on?" asked a male voice behind the woman.  
  
"Everything's fine. Just checking on something. Have you seen anyone home here tonight?" Donnelly asked the neighbors.  
  
"No, but that's not unusual. Sometimes she takes the kids down to New York City for the weekend. Her husband works down there. He commutes back and forth during the week. He's a police officer too," the woman told him.  
  
The officer nodded. "Well, he called us and asked us to check because he hasn't been able to reach Mrs. Boscorelli. You can go back inside. I'm just going to check the house and then I'll be leaving. If you do see her come home, though, could you ask her to call her husband. I'm going to leave my card in the door also," the officer told her.  
  
"Certainly. We'll keep an eye out," the woman said as the couple went back inside.  
  
The officer headed toward the front door and looked in the window next to the door as a light came on in the kitchen. He knocked on the door and looked in the window again. He saw a little girl come toward the door at the same time he thought he heard a baby crying in the garage.  
  
The girl looked upset and saw the silhouette of a police officer at her door. "Daddy?" the girl called out through the door as he heard the door lock turn and the door open.  
  
"No, honey. I'm not Daddy. Daddy asked us to come and check on you and your Mom because he couldn't reach you on the phone. Is your Mom here?" asked the officer as he heard the baby crying again. "Where's the baby?"  
  
"He's in his car seat. Mommy doesn't feel good. She's on the floor in the kitchen," Jordan said, tears starting to fall now. "I was just going to call 9-1-1, but you're already here."  
  
"Show me where Mommy is," the officer said, following Jordan into the house.   
  
As he followed Jordan into the house, he keyed his radio. "Dispatcher, start EMS to this location for an unknown illness."  
  
"10-4, 109. EMS is on the way," the dispatcher advised him as he reached where Jennifer was on the floor. He knelt down next to the woman and felt for a pulse, finding one.  
  
"Dr. Boscorelli. Can you hear me?" Officer Donnelly asked, gently shaking her. "Dr. Boscorelli?" He was only able to get a very faint moan. He heard the baby cry again.  
  
"Honey, can you show me where the baby is?" Donnelly asked the now-frightened girl.  
  
"He's in the car seat in the garage still. Mommy says I can't pick him up if no one's with me," she said, pointing toward the garage.  
  
"Okay, you stay here with Mommy and I'll go get your brother," he told her. He walked toward where Jordan had pointed as he keyed his radio again.  
  
"Dispatcher. Unit 109. Advise EMS we have an unconscious adult female with a cut to the head. She's breathing and has a pulse. Also, advise the NYPD officer what's going on and have him respond up here as soon as he can," he said.  
  
"10-4," came the reply.  
  
Donnelly walked into the garage and saw the baby in the car seat. His face was red from crying, but other than that he appeared safe. He unbuckled the child and picked him up which abated the crying somewhat. He carried Jason with him back into the house as he heard a siren approaching. He reached the little girl and saw she had the phone.  
  
"Who're you calling?" Donnelly asked her as the baby began crying again.  
  
"My Daddy. I want to talk to my Daddy," she said, fighting to hold back tears. She had dialed her father's cell phone number that was programmed into the phone and listened to it ring twice before being answered.  
  
"Boscorelli," came the tense reply through the phone. Hearing her father's voice, the tears began to fall.  
  
"Daddy? Mommy's sick. Can you come home? I'm scared," she said through sobs.  
  
"Jordan? Honey, what's wrong? What's wrong with Mommy? Are you and Jason alright?" he asked urgently.  
  
"She's sleeping. I can't wake her up. I'm okay, but Jason's hungry, I think. There's a policeman here," Jordan told him.  
  
"Okay, honey. I'm already on my way home. I'll be there really soon. Let me talk to the policeman for a minute. It's okay, Jordan. It's okay," he said, trying to assure her as he listened to her sobs into the phone.  
  
He heard Jordan handing the phone over. "My Daddy wants to talk to you."  
  
"This is Officer Donnelly," he answered.  
  
"Maurice Boscorelli. What's going on?" he asked anxiously.  
  
"Well, Sir. It looks like your wife was trying to get to the phone and either fell or passed out. I think she hit her head when she fell. EMS is just arriving and they'll take over. Is there someone closer we can call for you? The baby and your daughter are fine, just scared. I'll stay with them until you get here, or if I can call someone else for you..." he offered.  
  
"I'm about a half hour away still," Bosco told the officer, hearing Jason crying in the background. "Um.., are the Anderson's home? They live on the left of us. Mrs. Anderson can take care of them until I get there."  
  
"Yes, they saw me pull up. Thought you were all in the City for the weekend. I'll go get her. Drive carefully. I'll ride with your wife to the hospital and catch up with you there," Officer Donnelly told him.  
  
"Okay, thanks. Look, can I talk to Jordan again?" Bosco asked. The officer handed the phone over to the little girl.   
  
"Daddy wants to talk to you again," he told her as she took the phone. Bosco's heart broke as he heard Jordan sobbing.  
  
"Jordan. It's okay. The policeman is going to have Mrs. Anderson come over and stay with you. I'm going to meet Mommy at the hospital and then I'll come get you as soon as I find out what's going on. Tell Mrs. Anderson that Jason needs his bottle. You know Mommy puts them in the door of the refrigerator, right?" Bosco said.  
  
"Yes, Daddy. Please hurry," she said, her voice breaking off.  
  
"I'm hurrying, Honey. Please calm down okay. The paramedics are taking good care of Mommy," he told her. After calming her and being assured by the police officer at the house that he would take care of getting the Andersons over and go to the hospital with Jennifer, Bosco hung up the phone and pushed his foot down harder on the accelerator. The bile in the pit of his stomach was churning and he felt the burn of it.  
  
"Oh, God," he said out loud as he continued home.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
TBC... 


	4. Chapter 4

Waiting Is The Hardest Part  
  
Chapter 5  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jennifer was wheeled into the Emergency Room of Albany Medical Center Hospital. The paramedics recognized her upon their arrival at the house and advised the hospital in advance, so there was a pretty big crowd gathered by the time they'd arrived in the E.R. Before she was even in the trauma room, she was being swarmed by doctors and nurses trying to help.  
  
"Give it to me," Dr. Samuels called out to the paramedic as he began his own assessment.  
  
"Approximately 32-year old white female, found unresponsive on the kitchen floor upon P.D.'s arrival. They were asked to check on her by the patient's husband who is on his way back from New York City. Only outward sign of injury is a laceration to the right temporal area. There were no signs of struggle in the residence per P.D., so we think she may have gotten the laceration from the fall when she passed out. Examination shows the laceration and the right pupil slightly larger than the left. No other obvious signs of injury. We put her on a backboard with cervical collar for precaution. IV established with normal saline and oxygen via non-rebreather mask. There is faint response to deep painful stimulus - the sternal rub."  
  
Dr. Samuels immediately checked the pupils himself upon the report by the paramedic and found there to indeed be a size discrepancy on the right.   
  
"Okay, I want CT scan notified we're bringing up a stat patient. I want neuro down here right away and I want everyone that doesn't have a job to do on this patient, in this room, at this time to get the hell out!" Dr. Samuels ordered, shoving several onlookers out of the way as he pulled the curtain around his patient.  
  
"Jennifer. Jennifer! Can you hear me?" Samuels called to her. He got no response. He called to her again, this time using the sternal rub in addition and was rewarded with only a slight groan.  
  
"CT's ready," called out one of the nurses as she returned to the curtained-off area.   
  
"Okay, Jennifer. We've got you! Just relax and fight the good fight," Dr. Samuels encouraged her as they began to wheel the stretcher toward CT, his hand resting on the top of her head in an attempt at encouragement.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Is Mommy going to be okay?" Jordan asked Mrs. Anderson as she sat on the edge of the little girl's bed trying to get her to sleep.  
  
"I'm sure they're doing everything they can, Jordan. I'm not sure what's wrong, but your Mom's strong. We'll just have to wait for your Daddy to get here and tell us what's happening. In the meantime," Mrs. Anderson said, getting up and tucking in the covers around the little girl, "you need to get some rest so you can help Daddy take care of Jason while Mommy gets better."  
  
She bent over and gave the little girl a kiss on the forehead and walked to the doorway. "Door open or closed?" she asked.  
  
"Open," Jordan answered, her lower lip quivering. "And, could you leave the hallway light on?"  
  
"Of course, sweetheart. Get some sleep. I'm sure Daddy will be here soon," Mrs. Anderson whispered, turning off the bedroom light, but leaving on the hallway light as she asked.  
  
Mrs. Anderson walked out into the living room where her husband sat with Jason fast asleep in his arms. "He just finished his bottle finally. I think he's out for the night," he whispered. She bent down and took the sleeping baby from him and gently rocked him as he fussed just a bit. "How's she doing?" he asked his wife, referring to Jordan.  
  
"She's scared to death," she answered. "I'm going to go put him to bed. Thanks," she said, thanking him for giving the baby his bottle.  
  
"I'm going next door to make sure the dog settled down and then I'll be back over. You want anything from the house?" he asked as she headed for the bedroom and he headed toward the door.  
  
"Grab my slippers will you? This could be a while. Thanks," she called to him quietly.  
  
She walked into Jason's room and gently placed him in his crib. Covering him up, she wound up his mobile and watched as the music soothed the crease from his forehead that the change of position had brought about. "Sleep well," she said, patting his tummy and then walking out of the room. She walked back over to Jordan's room and looked in. The girl was finally asleep, out of sheer emotional exhaustion no doubt, but there were drying tearstains on her cheeks. She closed the door halfway and went back out to the living room.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^^  
  
Bosco pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and just about abandoned the car in the first spot he could find. He didn't even know if he locked the door.  
  
He hurried into the hospital and looked around for a familiar face. Finding no one he knew, he was reminded that he wasn't at Angel of Mercy, but at a different hospital altogether. He quickly walked up to the triage desk and gave his name.  
  
"Yes, Sir. Dr. Boscorelli is here. She's up in CT Scan right now. Why don't you come into the lounge and I'll see if Dr. Samuels is free. He may be with a patient," the nurse said apologetically.  
  
"She's alive, right?" Bosco asked and the nurse saw the fear in his eyes.  
  
"Yes," she replied, putting a hand on his arm. "She is most definitely alive." Bosco nodded and followed her to the lounge.   
  
"I'll be right back," she said, going to see if Dr. Samuels could speak with him. "There's coffee right there if you want, or anything to drink from the fridge."  
  
"No. Thanks," he said impatiently. "Sorry," he said for being gruff.  
  
"Not at all. Be right back," she said and then disappeared.  
  
Bosco paced around the room. At least he knew this Samuels guy. He'd met him at some dinner that he'd attended with Jennifer for the hospital. He'd seemed like a decent guy and Jennifer said that he was one of the best E.R. docs.  
  
He continued pacing for a few moments and didn't even hear the door open behind him. He was startled and surprised when Dr. Samuels called to him, by name.  
  
"Bosco," he said again and Bosco spun around to face him. He took in the look on the doctor's face and couldn't tell if it was good or bad news.  
  
"Doc?" he said as the doctor closed the door behind him. Bosco braced himself for the worst.  
  
"How is she? Can I see her?"  
  
"Bosco. She's still in the process of having the scan. Then, the neurologist is going to take a look at her. We don't know exactly what happened, there was no witness to it, so we're trying to piece things together." Their conversation as interrupted by Officer Donnelly who had come back from the coffee shop and found out that Bosco was here.  
  
Donnelly paused at the door. "Oh, excuse me. I'll wait outside."  
  
"No. It's okay. Are the kids okay?" Bosco asked, flexing his hands into fists and relaxing them as he tried to keep his emotions under control.  
  
"The Anderson's are at your house. They seem fine," Donnelly assured him.  
  
"Thanks. Sorry, Doc. You were saying?" he said, turning his attention back to the doctor.  
  
Samuels motioned for Bosco to have a seat, but he declined, shifting his weight from foot to foot nervously.  
  
"Well, she has a laceration to her head that's going to need some stitches. We're not sure if that's the reason that her right pupil is dilated more than her left or if the laceration's a factor of her passing out for some neurological reason," he explained.  
  
"Neurological reason? You mean like a stroke or something?" he asked, totally taken by surprise.  
  
"That's certainly a possibility. However, it could also be dilated BECAUSE of the bump to her head. That's what we're trying to determine. At any rate, those are the only injuries that we can find with our exam so far. We're just waiting for the results of the CT scan and neuro exam and then we should know more," the doctor explained.  
  
Bosco took in a deep breath to try to calm himself. "Okay. She didn't tell you what happened?"  
  
"No. She's..., um, well, she's still unconscious," he told Bosco.  
  
Bosco was at a loss for words and looked over at the police officer that had found his wife. "She was unconscious when I found her. Your little girl said she woke up in the car from the ride back from her Aunt's house?" Donnelly offered.  
  
"Yeah, Jen picked them up from her sister's house when she got done here at the hospital. They were supposed to drive down to the City tomorrow for the weekend. That's why I was trying to get hold of her. She was supposed to call me about what time she was getting into the City," Bosco explained.  
  
"Well, your daughter said that the baby woke her up. He was crying in the car seat in the garage and your wife wasn't in the car and everything was dark. She must've just woken up, because there was a light on in the house and the garage when I pulled in the driveway with my unit. Anyway, your daughter unlocked the door and said that her Mommy was sick and that she was on the floor in the kitchen. I went to check on her, called for the ambulance and then went to get the baby out of the car. Your daughter said she wasn't allowed to pick up the baby without anyone there," Donnelly added and this brought a slight smile to Bosco's face.  
  
"Yeah. Jen's afraid she'll drop Jason," he explained absently. As if suddenly poked back to the present, Bosco looked quickly back to the doctor. "Okay, so when can I see her?"  
  
"As soon as she comes back from the scan, I'll bring you right to her," he said.  
  
"Thanks, Doctor," Bosco said, shaking Samuels' hand.   
  
"No problem, Bosco. And, it's Andy - not Dr. Samuels," he said, returning the handshake.  
  
"Right. Thanks," Bosco said. Samuels headed for the door, leaving Bosco and Donnelly in the lounge.  
  
"Thanks for staying with her," Bosco said to the other officer.  
  
"Not a problem. I'm glad we found her," Donnelly replied.  
  
"Look, I'm gonna give my boss a call - let him know what's going on - and give you some breathing room. I'll be right outside for a while if you need me," Donnelly told him.  
  
"Thanks. Thanks again," he said, shaking Donnelly's hand.  
  
After Donnelly left the room, Bosco was alone. All he heard was the clock on the wall ticking. He ran a hand through his hair and took a seat in the closest chair as his legs started to tremble.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	5. Chapter 5

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part  
  
Chapter 5  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"She's back from CT. You can come in and sit with her if you want," came the soft voice from the nurse as she opened the door to the lounge.  
  
"Thanks, Dana," Bosco said, standing up to follow her. They walked down the hallway and the nurse took a right turn into a room that was dark, except for one light over the bed. He paused at the doorway, afraid to enter.  
  
"It's okay," the nurse urged him. "She's still asleep," she said, not using the word unconscious.   
  
Bosco wiped his sweating palms on his pant legs and walked into the room, taking in the peaceful sleeping face of his wife. Walking up to the bedside, he looked down at her. There was a slight bruise on the side of her head, under the bandage where the stitches were.  
  
"Um, has she woken up at all?" he asked Dana as she checked a few things in the room.  
  
A sympathetic look was followed with, "I'm afraid not yet. There's a chair right there," she said, pointing to the chair alongside the bed. "I'm going to check on another patient, but I'll be right around this hallway if you need me. Dr. Samuels and the neurologist will be down as soon as they're done looking at the scan," she said with a smile.  
  
"Oh, uh, okay. Thanks," Bosco said.   
  
After Dana had left the room, Bosco moved the chair closer to the bed. Sitting forward, he took her hand in his and leaned close to her ear.   
  
"Jen?" he said softly. "Can you hear me? I'm here. Everything's gonna be okay. You hear me? Everything's gonna be okay," he assured her, looking at her face for some sign that she'd heard him.  
  
Bosco was sitting alongside Jennifer in the E.R. room when Dr. Samuels and another man came into the room. He stood quickly and acknowledged their presence, not letting go of Jennifer's hand as he did so.  
  
"Doc?" Bosco asked, waiting for some news. He tried to read the looks on their faces, but couldn't.  
  
"Bosco. This is Dr. Michaels. He's the neurologist that I called in on Jennifer's case. Bosco reached across to shake hands with Michaels as Dr. Samuels finished the introduction.  
  
"Martin, this is Dr. Boscorelli's husband, Officer Maurice Boscorelli. He's with the New York City Police Department," Samuels finished.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Officer," Michaels said, returning the handshake.  
  
"Please, its just Bosco," he told him. "So, can you tell me what's going on with Jennifer?" Bosco asked, wanting to quickly get to the details.  
  
"Well, Offic.., Bosco. Why don't we step out to the lounge and we can talk about things," Michaels suggested.  
  
  
  
Bosco shook his head. "No. I'm not leaving her. We can talk right here," he insisted.  
  
"Very well. As you know, we did a CT Scan on your wife to try to determine if the irregularity in her pupils is from a head injury of some kind. After examining your wife and looking over the films, we can't be positive which came first, but I'm inclined to believe that Dr. Boscorelli suffered a rupture of a blood vessel in her brain, which is causing swelling - from the blood that seeped in between her brain and her skull. This is causing pressure, which accounts for the difference in her pupils - from pressure to the optic nerves," he said, pausing to see if Bosco was following. He seemed to be, although he seemed much paler than he was a moment ago.  
  
"Would you like to sit down?" Michaels asked.  
  
Bosco attempted to work up some saliva in his suddenly dry mouth and licked his lips. "No. I'm okay. Please go on. Is she going to be alright?"  
  
"Well, it's hard to say. We'll monitor her condition, of course. I'm still undecided as to whether we need to go in surgically and remove the blood. She's stable right now. I'll be admitting her to ICU and monitor her closely. We'll do another scan in about two hours - or sooner if symptoms warrant - to see if we need to do the procedure. As long as there's no more bleeding, we shouldn't have to go in and stop it ourselves," he continued.  
  
"Do you have any questions for me, right now? I know it's a lot to absorb," Dr. Michaels said.  
  
"Um," Bosco said, slowly shaking his head. "So, do we know how this "bleed" as you call it happened? Or if it's done any kind of damage?" he asked finally.  
  
"Well, I don't believe that its from any trauma that Jennifer suffered. According to the paramedics that brought your her in, Jordan told the police officer on the scene that she hadn't been feeling well - a headache - and that's why they came home early from dinner," Dr. Samuels offered. "So, we're assuming that she passed out and then hit her head as she fell, getting the cut to her head.  
  
"As far as any damage," Dr. Michaels added. "I'm afraid we won't know that until she wakes up, but there's liable to be some sort of deficit - hopefully not permanent."  
  
"But she WILL wake up, right Doc?" Bosco asked, looking back and forth between the two doctors.  
  
Dr. Samuels put a hand on Bosco's shoulder. "We'll just have to wait," he told him.  
  
"Yeah, but the waiting - that's always the hardest part," Bosco said.  
  
Dr. Michaels told Bosco that he was going to arrange to have Jennifer moved upstairs to the ICU and that he'd see him up there. "But, please don't hesitate to have me paged if you have any questions."  
  
"Thanks, Dr. Michaels, Doc," he replied, as the two doctors walked out. Samuels turned back to him at the doorway.   
  
"I'll be around if you need anything. Feel free to use the phone in the lounge, or the lounge for that matter."  
  
Bosco nodded his thanks and looked back at Jennifer, running a hand through his hair as he digested all that was said to him.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
They were just getting ready to move Jennifer upstairs, when her sister came flying into the ER. Bosco had called her when he'd gotten to the hospital and she stopped to check on the kids. She left her husband, Peter, there to relieve the Andersons and to look after Jordan and Jason, and she'd come to the hospital.  
  
"Kathy," he called to her from the doorway to Jennifer's room.  
  
"My God, Bosco," she said, rushing over and hugging him. "What the hell happened?" she asked, walking over to Jennifer's bedside and looking at her sister.  
  
"She had some kind of a blood vessel rupture in her head. They did a scan and they're planning another one in about an hour, I guess, to decide if they need to do surgery," he told her.  
  
"On her brain?" Kathy asked, horrified. Bosco just nodded, the thought of surgery on her brain causing him too much fear to verbalize.  
  
"The kids okay?" he asked her.  
  
"Yes. Peter and the kids are there with them. I got everyone back to sleep before I came over. Peter's gonna stay there as long as we need him to," she told him.  
  
"I'll have to go over in the morning and let Jordan know what's going on. I really don't want her to see Jen like this right now. Maybe once she wakes up...," he said, trailing off.  
  
"Well, she will wake up, right?" Kathy asked, the horror of her not waking up hitting her.  
  
"Of course she will," Bosco said positively. "They said all we can do is wait right now," he said, stepping aside as the nurses came in to finish preparing her for the move upstairs.  
  
"They're taking her up to ICU," he told his sister-in-law. They both followed silently as they wheeled Jennifer out of the ER room and toward the elevator.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Hey, Boss. Have you heard anything from Bosco?" Faith asked after she'd changed out of her uniform at the end of the shift. Sully and Ty followed her over to the Lieutenant.  
  
"Yeah. I got a call from Albany. They wanted to let me know that their officer found his wife unconscious on the floor in the house. They transported her to the hospital. I told them that Bosco was already on his way up there," Lieutenant Swersky told the three of them.  
  
"So, we don't know what's wrong? Was she attacked?" Faith asked.  
  
"No. It appears it was something medical. The daughter told the police that 'Mommy was sick' before it happened.  
  
"Did anyone reach Bosco and let him know? Call his cell phone?" Faith asked.  
  
"Yeah. I called him to let him know, but the daughter had already called him. He didn't sound too good," Swersky added.  
  
"I'll bet," Sully said. "He's down here and his family's up there going through all that without him. I'm sure he's there by now," Sully said, looking at the clock and figuring it from the time Bosco had left.  
  
"Well, I told him to call me," Faith said. "I'll give him a little while and call him if I don't hear from him soon."  
  
"Keep me posted, Yokas," Swersky said, walking away from the group.  
  
"Wow," Ty said. "I hope everything's okay."  
  
"Well, I'm gonna head home in case he calls me there," Faith said, checking to make sure her cell phone was turned on.  
  
"Okay. Let us know if you hear anything," Sully called after her.  
  
"I will," she answered, giving them a wave as she walked out the door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	6. Chapter 6

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part  
  
Chapter 6  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Faith had tried calling Bosco's cell phone, but only got his voicemail. She assumed it was because they weren't allowed in the hospitals usually - something about the signals possibly messing up the monitors and stuff. Anyway, she called the hospital and left a message for him at the nurse's station, not wanting to interrupt him if he was in with Jennifer.  
  
She sat now watching the all night news channel. She had it on more for company than for actually listening to it. Everyone had been asleep when she came home and she decided to let Fred sleep.   
  
Fred came out of the bedroom, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked, knowing that if she hadn't come to bed when she got home from work, something had happened - usually to someone she knew.  
  
"Bosco couldn't get hold of Jennifer earlier and he sent an Albany car by to check. They found her on the floor of the house," she told him as he sat down next to her.  
  
"What? Well, what happened?" Fred asked, concern waking him up fully.  
  
Faith shrugged. "We don't know any details. They took her to the hospital while Bosco was driving up there. He didn't even know about it until Jordan called him on the cell phone all hysterical, I guess," she said. "I tried call him, but I could only leave a message."  
  
"Well, he'll call back when he knows anything, I'm sure," Fred assured her. "Why don't you come to bed and get some rest. If he needs you for something, you don't want to be too exhausted to help."  
  
She looked at her husband and remembered how not too long ago, the two men in her life did not get along at all. This was like a total turnaround and she'd never thought it would happen - at least from Fred's perspective. "I guess, now that Bosco's married with a family of his own, he doesn't feel threatened by him anymore," she thought to herself.  
  
"Yeah, sleep sounds like a good idea. I'm not looking forward to telling Emily and Charlie in the morning. They're pretty attached to Jennifer and the kids," Faith said as she got up and followed Fred down the hall to bed.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Excuse me, Officer Boscorelli?" the nurse whispered to him from the doorway. He'd been dozing in the chair alongside Jennifer and was startled. He looked quickly at Jennifer, thinking that she'd woken up and was calling him. Realizing that she was still unconscious, he looked around to see where the voice had come from.  
  
Finding the nurse at the doorway, he sat up straighter. "Yeah," he said in a sleepy voice, wiping the sleep from his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry to wake you, but I just wanted to let you know that a 'Faith Yokas' left a message for you with the operator earlier. They just managed to catch up with you here," she said, stepping in to hand Bosco the slip of paper. Bosco stood up and met her halfway. He took the paper and tilted it toward the light that was spilling into the doorframe from the hallway.  
  
"Please call and let me know what's going on and if you need anything. Doesn't matter what time - just call. -Faith Yokas," he read from the slip of paper.  
  
He looked at the nurse. "Thanks," he said, looking at his wristwatch to see that it was about 4:00 a.m. He wasn't sure he should call her, but knew that if he didn't he'd certainly get an earful from her when he finally did call her.  
  
"You can use the phone on the nightstand," said the nurse, pointing to the other side of Jennifer's bed. "It's been turned on for you."  
  
"Wha... Oh, thanks," he said, giving the nurse a slight smile.  
  
"If you need anything else, I'll be here until 7:00. I'm Marlie," she told him before stepping back out of the room.  
  
Bosco walked back over to Jennifer and leaned in to get a look at her face. He hoped he saw some sign that she was coming out of it - even if it was just the wrinkle of her nose that he loved so much. Nothing. He took hold of her hand and gave it a slight squeeze. "I'm gonna call Faith and let her know what's going on. I know, it's really early, but you know Faith. If I don't call her, she'll have my ass," he said to Jennifer, as if she were sitting there telling him it was too ungodly of an hour to call anyone.  
  
He walked around to the other side of the bed and picked up the phone. He dialed to get an outside line and when he heard the dial tone, he dialed Faith's number. It rang about three times when it was picked up and he heard Faith's familiar voice in the other line.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
"Hello," Faith said, the panic of a "middle of the night" phone call - even one she was expecting - causing her to sound out of breath.  
  
"Hey. It's me," Bosco said and she heard the tired sound of his voice. She sat up.  
  
"Hey. What's going on? How's Jennifer? Are the kids okay?" she asked in rapid succession.  
  
"Whoa. Slow down, Faith," he said, almost laughing at the grilling she was giving him. "Some things never change," he thought to himself.  
  
"Sorry. What can I do?" Faith answered as Fred woke up and turned over to face her.  
  
"Um, well, it looks like she had some kind of a bleed or something in her brain. The doctor said a weak blood vessel or something. Anyway, Albany found her on the floor in the house. Jordan was with her, but Jason was still in the car seat, so they think it happened as soon as she got home - probably around 6:00 or so," he said, looking over at his wife.   
  
"She's um..., well, she's still unconscious," he said, not able to hide the sound of his voice that told Faith he was scared to death.  
  
"Okay. That's probably normal right now, right? I mean, her brain is keeping her knocked out so that it has time to heal," she said, trying to reassure him through a phone line.  
  
"Yeah, I guess... I mean, the doctors say she's stable. They're gonna do another scan in the morning to see if the bleeding got any worse," he told her.  
  
"Where are the kids?" Faith asked.  
  
"Um..., they're at home. Peter, Kathy's husband, is staying with them. Kathy left so that she'd be there when Jordan and Jason woke up," he told Faith. "I'm gonna have to go over in a little while and let Jordan know what's going on. She was scared to death on the phone last night, but I wanted to get right to the hospital."  
  
"Okay. Well, is there anything we can do? I mean, are you okay? I could come up there," she offered.  
  
"No, I'm okay. You've got work and the kids. I'm just waiting. That's the hardest thing - the waiting," he said, his voice trailing off.  
  
"Bosco?" Faith said.  
  
"I'm..., uh..., I'm scared to death, Faith," he admitted to her, a catch in his voice.  
  
"I know, Bos. It'll be okay. I'll tell the Lieutenant what's going on and that you'll be up there for a while anyway. He'll take care of the paperwork here giving you a leave. Please call me if there's anything I can do. Anything - even if you just need to talk, okay?" she insisted.  
  
"Yeah. Thanks, Faith. I'll call you later, I guess," he said, the fatigue sounding heavy in his voice now.  
  
"Did you call your Mom yet?" Faith asked. "I'll do it if you want me to."  
  
"No. I'm gonna call her in a little while. There's nothing she can do right now anyway," he told her.  
  
"Okay. Call me, Bosco," she reminded him.  
  
"I will," he said. "Bye."  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^  
  
Bosco hung up the phone and looked at Jennifer. "Jen?" he called her softly.  
  
"Jen, can you hear me?" he repeated, taking hold of her hand again. With his other hand, he rubbed his thumb back and forth along her forehead, hoping for some sign that she knew he was there.  
  
At first, he wasn't sure if it was his imagination or if it was real. He looked at the hand that had just very lightly squeezed his own and then back at her face. "Jen?"  
  
He felt the slight squeeze again, although it was weaker - if that was possible - than the first time. "I'm here, Jen. I love you. The kids are fine. Kathy and Peter are with them. I'll go check on them in a little bit. I'm gonna get the doctor and let him know you squeezed my hand. I'll be right back," he said, leaning over to give her a kiss. "I love you," he told her again before letting go of her and going to get the nurse to call the doctor.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*  
  
TBC... 


	7. Chapter 7

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part  
  
Chapter 7  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Bosco walked out to the hallway, stretching his back as he tried to work the kinks out from sleeping in the chair alongside Jennifer. He was lucky they let him do that. Normally, you were only able to visit for a few minutes and then leave while patients were in the ICU. But, because she was the only one in the room at the time, and because Dr. Samuels had told them it was okay, they'd let him stay the night. Someone had even thrown a blanket over his shoulders.  
  
She hadn't stirred at all and never did grip his hand again after that second time. But, the doctor came in and checked on her when he'd called. He told Bosco that she seemed stable and that she was scheduled for another CT scan at 7:00 a.m. He looked at his watch and saw that it was 6:45. The staff on the floor was gradually coming to life to start the day in the hospital and he watched as two orderlies came toward Jennifer's room with a stretcher.  
  
He stepped aside and watched as a nurse came in to help get Jennifer moved over to the stretcher without jarring any of the IVs or monitors lose. The nurse then told him he might as well go get something to eat because Jennifer would be up in the CT room for about an hour or so.  
  
Bosco watched as they wheeled Jennifer out of his sight. He couldn't help but feel helpless as he watched her round the corner. He decided that he'd head home and check on the kids to make sure everything was okay there while Jennifer was upstairs. Grabbing his jacket and stopping at the nurse's station to make sure they knew where he was and had his cell phone number in case of an emergency, he walked to the elevator. As he exited the elevator on the main floor of the hospital, he stopped by the coffee shop and grabbed a coffee on his way out.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Kathy and Peter awoke to the sound of Jordan calling for Jennifer.   
  
"Mom?" she called out frantically. They could hear her footsteps coming down the hallway. Kathy was the first out of the bed in the spare bedroom downstairs, off the living room - the place where Bosco had first slept when he was recuperating from the injuries he sustained in the crash while transporting the prisoner from Albany to the City.  
  
"Mom!" the call was more frantic now and the footsteps quicker as she saw that her mother's bed was empty.  
  
"Peter, go check on Jason while I calm Jordan down," Kathy told Peter as he threw on his jeans. Kathy threw on a robe that she'd borrowed from Jennifer's room last night. They both exited the room at the same time, Peter going by Jordan to the stairs to check on the baby, while Kathy gathered a frantic Jordan into her arms at the foot of the stairs.  
  
"It's okay, Jordan. It's okay," she said, holding tight to the panicked child.  
  
"I want Mommy," she said, starting to cry now. "Where's Mommy? Is she at work?"  
  
"No, honey. Mommy got sick yesterday, remember? She's at the hospital to get better," Kathy explained to her.  
  
"Why can't she get better at home?" Jordan asked.  
  
"I'm sure she'll be coming home as soon as the doctors say its okay. Remember, just like Daddy was in the hospital when he broke his leg in the car crash. He couldn't come home until his doctor - Mommy - told him he was well enough," Kathy told her.  
  
"Where is Daddy?" Jordan asked, as Peter came down the stairs with Jason.  
  
"Daddy's with Mommy right now," Kathy said. "He said he'd come home this morning to tell us how Mommy's feeling. He just wanted to stay with Mommy for the night in case she needed anything."  
  
"I really want to see Mommy," Jordan said, starting to cry again. Her brother decided he'd join in and started to cry also - even though he was crying because of the empty feeling in his stomach.  
  
"Why don't you help me make some breakfast for Jason and Uncle Peter," Kathy said, trying to take Jordan's mind off of things a little.   
  
"Daddy'll need something to eat too when he gets here," Jordan told her Aunt.  
  
"Right. We'll make something for Daddy too," Kathy answered as they heard the key turn in the front door.   
  
Jordan looked over just as Bosco opened the front door. Unlike Kathy and Peter, the little girl was so happy to see him that she didn't notice the stubble from not shaving since early yesterday morning and the tired, worried look in his eyes. "Daddy!" Jordan called as she ran toward him.  
  
Before he could get the keys out of the door lock she was on him. He bent down to scoop her up and the grip around his neck by her almost choked him. "Hey, Jordan. How's my girl?" he asked, grateful for the tight hug from her.  
  
"I miss Mommy, Daddy. Is she getting better?" Jordan asked him.  
  
"Yeah, honey. She's getting better all the time," he said, looking at Kathy and Peter. "How's Jason doing?" he asked, walking over toward where Peter stood with him.  
  
"He's hungry," Kathy said. "We were just going to make some breakfast, weren't we?" Kathy said, taking Jordan from Bosco so he could hold his son for a moment.  
  
"Hey Big Guy," Bosco said, taking the boy from Peter. "You get bigger every day," he said, chuckling as Jason tried to grab his lip as Bosco leaned his head over to give his son a kiss.  
  
"Why don't we go get things started in the kitchen, Jordan?" Peter said, wanting to leave Bosco and Kathy alone so they could talk without Jordan overhearing things just yet.  
  
Jordan gave her Uncle a skeptical look and then took his hand. "I don't know, Uncle Peter. Mommy says men are useless in the kitchen," Bosco and Kathy heard her say on their way out of the room.  
  
"She does, does she," Peter said, making a note to talk to Jennifer about that when she came home.  
  
"So, how is she?" Kathy asked when Jordan was out of earshot.   
  
"She's still unconscious," Bosco reported, sitting down after feeling the full weight of Jason while he was so exhausted. Kathy sat down next to him.  
  
"What do the doctors say?" she asked.  
  
"She appears stable, but we just have to wait. She's having another scan right now. They said she'd be a little while so I thought I'd come home and check on the kids. How's Jordan?" he asked.  
  
"She's scared. She woke up and Mommy still wasn't home, so she panicked. We were just getting her calmed down when you came home. You look like hell," she noted.  
  
"Thanks. She squeezed my hand last night - or this morning - I'm not even sure what day it is," Bosco said.  
  
"Really? Well, that's good, right?" Kathy asked him.  
  
"The doctors seem to think so. It was so weak though. But, I think she knows I was there," he said, looking his sister-in-law in the eye as they heard Jordan come back in.  
  
"Uncle Peter says that Jason's food and bottle are ready," Jordan said as she came into the room.  
  
"I'll take him and feed him. You can talk to Jordan a little," Kathy said, taking Jason from his arms. The boy fussed slightly, but not too much.  
  
"So, how're you doing?" he asked Jordan, pulling her into his lap. "You sounded pretty scared when I talked to you on the phone last night."  
  
"I'm okay. Is Mommy going to be okay?" Jordan asked.  
  
"Well, I think she is, but we just have to wait. She's sleeping right now and we have to wait for her to wake up to tell us how she feels," Bosco explained.  
  
"Why can't you just shake her or yell at her to wake her up?" Jordan asked.  
  
"Well, it's not that kind of sleep. You see, you know how when you fall down and scrape yourself or something, you bleed sometimes?" Bosco asked and she nodded.  
  
"Well, Mommy has a scrape inside her head," he said and was interrupted.  
  
"You mean from when she fell on the floor over there?" she asked, pointing to the foyer.  
  
"Yeah, from that," he said, not knowing how to tell her that she was bleeding in her brain before she fell down. "Anyway, because the blood is inside her head, it's making her sleep really deep. She may want to wake up, but she can't yet. We have to wait for the blood to go away - you know, like your scrapes - and then hopefully she'll wake up," he explained.  
  
"Oh. Well, how long will that take?" Jordan asked.  
  
"I don't know, Honey. You know how Mommy always says everybody's different and they heal in their own time? Well, that's the same thing with Mommy. But, as soon as she's awake, I'll take you to see her, okay?" he finished as Kathy came back in.  
  
"Breakfast is ready," she called to them.  
  
"Okay," she said, giving Bosco a hug before jumping off his lap to go eat.  
  
"So, you want to eat, shower or crash first?" Kathy asked him, putting a hand on the top of his head as she came around from the back of the couch.  
  
"Whew, I'm not sure what to do. I need to get back to the hospital pretty quick. I'll guess I'll grab a shower and head back over," Bosco said, rubbing his chin and feeling the stubble that was there. "Jen hates me with a beard," he said.  
  
"Well, why don't you get something to eat, grab a nap and take a shower. I'll run over to the hospital for a while. You can't let yourself get run down. Jen and the kids are going to need you. Did you call work?" she reminded him.  
  
"Yeah. I mean, no. I talked to Faith about 4:00 and she's gonna talk to the boss. She said she'd take care of it. I've gotta call my Mom though," he said and Kathy caught the catch in his voice.  
  
"Bos?" she said quietly, looking over her shoulder to see that Jordan was still in the kitchen. "What's wrong? Is it worse than you're telling me?"  
  
Bosco shook his head as he regained his composure. "No. Its just, she's got to be okay, Kathy. You know? I don't know what I'd do," he said, looking at her with red-rimmed eyes.  
  
"She will be. We have to believe that. Now go eat and talk to the kids while I get dressed. After I leave, Peter will take them to the park for a little while so you can get some rest. I'll stay until you get back to the hospital and I'll call if there's any change," she told him, standing up and pulling him to his feet.  
  
"Okay, but I'm not staying home long. Thanks, Kathy. For taking care of the kids and everything," Bosco said.  
  
"It's the least I can do for the guy that brought my sister back to life after Jeff died," she told him, giving him a hug. "She's loves you so much Bosco," she whispered to him and tightened her grip on him.  
  
They let go of each other and he headed off to the kitchen. He'd eat first then call his Mom.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*  
  
TBC... 


	8. Chapter 8

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part  
  
Chapter 8  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He heard a phone ringing and Bosco turned over, instinctively reaching for Jennifer. His eyes shot open and he threw the pillow that he always slept with over his head off, looking at the empty spot alongside him. He sat up and looked over at the clock and then to the clothes that he'd discarded when he came upstairs after breakfast.   
  
"Dammit," he muttered to himself, getting out of bed and realizing that he hadn't been dreaming. Jennifer was indeed in the hospital, fighting for her life for all Bosco knew. He couldn't believe that he'd actually fallen asleep and for how long. Truth was, he didn't even remember lying down. He was just going to sit on the bed for a minute before he jumped in the shower. He remembered laying back and looking up at the ceiling, thinking about how vulnerable Jennifer looked in the hospital bed. That was the last thing he remembered before now. He must've fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the bed.  
  
Now, he jumped into the shower and finished quickly. He stood at the bathroom mirror with a towel wrapped around his waist shaving off the stubble that had grown since yesterday morning. "Had it only been that long?" he thought to himself. It seemed like days since he'd talked to Jennifer on the phone while he was working.  
  
After he finished shaving, he walked out of the bathroom and grabbed some clean clothes out of his dresser. He saw his cell phone sitting in the charger. Picking it up, he dialed Jennifer's cell phone number. He knew she wouldn't answer, but he'd get her voice mail and hear her voice. He listened to the message and hung up when the tone sounded to leave a message. Hanging up and putting the phone back down on the dresser, he finished fastening his belt. He was sitting on the bed, tying his shoes, when he heard a soft knock on the door.  
  
"Yeah," he called out, finishing up with the last shoe. "C'mon in,." he called, assuming that it was Peter or Jordan.  
  
The door opened as he stood up and he saw Faith standing there. "Hey," he said, surprise in his voice. Immediately, he'd thought something awful had happened. "What happened?" he asked, with terror in his voice.  
  
"Nothing. Nothing, Bos. It's just that the hospital called and said that Jennifer's doctor looked at the scan. I was going to wake you up, but he said he had a case in the E.R. he was on his way to. He said to page him when you got back to the hospital and he'd go over the results with you," Faith told him and he finally took a breath.  
  
"What're you doing here, Faith?" he asked, suddenly realizing that he wasn't just in his apartment in the City, but two and a half hours away.  
  
"I took a personal day. Emily wanted to come up and help take care of the kids for you," she explained. "They're off school this week - winter recess - and she didn't want you to have to worry about finding someone to take care of them. If that's okay with you?" Faith asked.  
  
Bosco smiled, "Yeah, that's fine. But, she doesn't have to stay the whole time. I mean, I don't know how long it'll be. Who knows, Jen could wake up tomorrow and be home by the end of the week. Em probably wants to spend some time with her friends during the break from school," Bosco said.  
  
Faith shook her head. "No, she wants to do this. You, Jen and the kids mean a lot to her. She's gotten very attached," Faith said, as Bosco heard the kids playing downstairs.  
  
"Is that Charlie?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah. I brought him up with me for the day. He wanted to see you too," she told him. "I'll bring him back home with me tonight when we leave.  
  
"We?" he asked, following her out the bedroom door after grabbing his wallet and phone off the dresser. He put the wallet in his back pocket and clipped the phone to his belt.  
  
"Yeah. Fred, the gourmet cook, is making up some stuff for the freezer so you don't have to worry about cooking," she told him, rolling her eyes.  
  
Bosco just smiled and shook his head, trying to digest what his partner and her family had done for him. "Where's Peter?" he asked as they went down the stairs and took in the sight of Charlie, Jordan and Emily rough-housing with their two cousins while Jason sat in his walker and giggled out loud. Emily wasn't playing so much as she was preventing anyone from rolling into a table or the hearth and cracking their heads open.  
  
"Oh, he went over to be with Kathy for a little while. We told him we'd keep an eye on the kids while he went over," Faith told him.  
  
"Uncle B!" Charlie shouted as he caught sight of them coming down the stairs.  
  
"Hey, Chuckie. Hey Emily," he answered as Charlie came over and flung his arms around Bosco's waist.  
  
"Thanks guys," he said. "I appreciate it, Em."  
  
"No problem," she answered, leaning over to pick up Jason who'd seen his father and started fussing because he wanted to get to him.  
  
She handed him over to Bosco as Fred came out of the kitchen. "Coffee?" he asked, holding a steaming cup in his hand.  
  
"Absolutely," Bosco answered, taking the cup from him. "Thanks, Fred," he said, taking in the sight behind Fred in the kitchen - containers full of prepared meals, broken down into single serving sizes.  
  
They made some small talk after Bosco filled Faith and Fred in on what he knew so far. Faith told him that she'd talked with Lieutenant Swersky and that he was all set with the time off. "He said take all the time you need, but to keep him posted. He said to tell him if you need anything also," she relayed. "Sully and Ty send their best also," she added. Taking a few sips from the coffee and making small talk, he looked at the clock and Faith saw him get a little antsy.   
  
"Hey, don't feel like you have to stay here and entertain us. Go to the hospital and be with Jennifer. That's why we're here. So you can be with her and not worry about anything else," Faith said.  
  
"Yeah, I really want to hear what the doctor has to say. I'm sorry to just run out on you like this. I really appreciate everything you guys," Bosco said. "Emily, you have my cell number, right?" he called out to her.  
  
"Yup. Tell Jennifer we said hello," Emily answered.  
  
Jordan came running out to him. "I want to go with you," she said to him as he bent down to pick her up.   
  
He gave her a kiss on the cheek and said, "I know you do, Squirt. And, I'll bring you over just as soon as she's awake. I promise, okay?"  
  
He saw tears start to form in her eyes. "Aww, Jordan, its okay. Give me a kiss to give to Mommy," he said, holding her closer.  
  
Instead, she threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into his ear, "I don't want Mommy to go away like my first Daddy did." And then she dissolved into uncontrollable sobs.  
  
"Jordan, Jordan, listen to me. Mommy's very strong and the doctors are very good. Mommy's fighting this as hard as she can and we all have to be strong for her, okay?" Bosco said, fighting back the tears himself at her terror of losing another parent.  
  
"Okay," she mumbled through her gasps. "Can you give her Beth for me?" she asked him, referring to the security doll she usually slept with.  
  
"I will if you want, but what're you gonna use?" he asked.  
  
"Mommy needs her more than me right now," she answered bravely as she squirmed out of Bosco's arms and ran to her room to get Beth. She was back quickly and handed the doll over to Bosco.  
  
"Okay, if you're sure. If you change your mind, you can call me and I'll bring her home for you, okay?" he said.  
  
"Okay," she answered trying to be brave.  
  
"Call me if you need anything, Em. I'm only like five minutes away. Thanks for everything again," he said, looking back at Faith and Fred, and shaking Fred's hand.  
  
"No problem. Call me tomorrow and let me know what's going on. Sooner if you need to," Faith told him.  
  
"I will. Chuckie, my man. Thanks for coming up here," he said, giving Charlie the handshake that they'd made up together.  
  
"No problem, Uncle B," he said, trying to sound older than he was.  
  
"Well, I better get going. I'll see you. Have a safe trip home," he called to them as he went out the door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	9. Chapter 9

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part  
  
Chapter 9  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Bosco pulled his car into the parking lot of the hospital, now on a first-name basis with the security guard who'd ooohed and aahhhed over his blue mustang convertible on that first day. The man had made Bosco promise to tell him first if he ever decided to sell the car - not that Bosco ever would. That had been four days ago and it seemed that the man had saved the spot right next to his guard shack for Bosco every day - so nothing would happen to "his" car.  
  
"Hey, Matt. How goes the day so far?" Bosco called to the guard as he locked up his car and headed toward the hospital. He handed Matt a Dunkin' Donuts coffee and sweet roll he'd picked up on the way over for him.  
  
"Can't complain, Bosco. Nobody listens anyway," Matt called back. "Thanks," he said, as he took the coffee and roll.  
  
"I hear that," Bosco joked back. "See you later."  
  
"Tell the Doc I said hello. I got a good feelin' about today, Bosco," Matt called back to Bosco as he reached the front door of the hospital.   
  
"I hope you're right!" Bosco waved over his shoulder and disappeared into the building.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Bosco got off the elevator and said hello to the nurses that were just changing shift and giving report to the oncoming staff.  
  
"Good morning, Ladies," he called, giving them a wave as he strolled by.   
  
"Hey!" came a man's voice from the group.  
  
"Sorry!" Bosco called back. "How's it goin' Rocco!" he said to the male nurse that was working today.  
  
"Doc's in with her right now," Rocco called back.  
  
Bosco waved acknowledgement and walked down the hallway to the hospital room door. He had to admit that he was in a good mood today. For some reason he just woke up that way. He was late this morning because, as he'd promised Jennifer before he left her last night, he'd spent some quality time with the kids this morning. Took them out for a breakfast on a beautiful sunny morning and let them play in the yard for a while as the sun warmed up the day.   
  
Emily had been great. She'd kept everything running smoothly at the house - the kids were happy and healthy, and she'd even insisted - despite Bosco telling her not to worry about it - to do some housekeeping and laundry - so that he could spend all his time with Jennifer. He'd told her he didn't want her to wake up without him there and Emily had understood - she remembered how good it was to see her parents when she woke up in the hospital after her run-in with the Special K. She told him not to worry about anything - that she didn't have to be back to school until after the weekend because Monday was a holiday as well.  
  
Now, he stood at the doorway as the doctor finished his examination. He was a bit unnerved at the sight of so many people in the room. There were two nurses and a couple of residents along with the doctor. He took a few steps into the room as the doctor finished up by giving the residents some orders. The neurologist turned to head out of the room and saw Bosco standing in the doorway. He noticed the scared look on his face.  
  
"What happened?" was all he could say.  
  
The doctor took some steps toward Bosco and smiled, trying to reassure him. "Nothing bad. It looks like she may be starting to wake up," he said and before he knew it Bosco was around him and at Jennifer's bed.  
  
"Jen? Can you hear me? I'm here," he told her. With his hand in hers he turned back to the doctor. "How do you know? When? Nobody called me."  
  
"It just happened. I was doing my rounds and doing the normal examination. I noticed her eyelids flutter slightly as I touched her. She's reacting to painful stimulus now too - when I rub hard on her sternum, she flinches a little," the doctor explained.  
  
"That's good, right?" Bosco asked.  
  
"Yes, that's good, Bosco," the doctor told him. "I'm going to have some more tests done throughout the day, but with any luck, she may be waking up in the next couple of days. But, bear in mind that we don't know if there's been any damage from the bleed yet," he cautioned.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Bosco said, not really wanting to think about that now. He was just glad that it looked like she was finally waking up.  
  
"Well, I've got more rounds. I'll be in and out today as will some other doctors doing some tests," the doctor said, leaving Bosco alone with Jennifer.  
  
Bosco turned back toward Jennifer and just watched her, hoping to see what the doctor had seen. Nothing.  
  
"Jen, can you hear me?" he said, putting a hand on the top of her head and playing with her hair. "Please, open your eyes. I need you to come back."  
  
He felt a slight squeeze of his hand and drew in a sharp breath. "Jen! I felt that. Do that again," he asked her and she did.  
  
"Great! Now, can you open your eyes. I really want to see your eyes again," he said, almost begging. He only felt her grip his hand again, but this time it was weaker.  
  
"Okay, you're tired. That's okay. Get some more rest, but I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'll be right here," he told her. Bending down, he kissed her and felt her lips move slightly beneath his own as if she were trying to kiss him back. Without letting go of her hand, he reached behind him and pulled the chair up to the bedside.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	10. Chapter 10

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part  
  
Chapter 10  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Since getting the doctor's news that she may be coming out of her coma, Bosco had spent most of the weekend with Jennifer, talking to her, trying to get her to wake up. The only thing he'd received was the occasional crease of her brow and a squeeze of his hand. He'd taken a run home to get something to eat, check on the kids, and get them into bed. He was trying to give them some kind of normalcy in an all to abnormal situation.   
  
He pulled into the driveway and saw Fred's truck. Faith, Fred and Charlie had come to pick up Emily to get her back home for school tomorrow.   
  
He walked up to the door until he heard some noise from out back. Walking around the side of the house to the backyard, he saw all the kids outside playing. Jason was doing his best to keep up, grass stains on his knees from crawling and his squeals of delight heard throughout the neighborhood, no doubt. Faith, Fred and Jennifer's sister, Kathy, sat on the deck keeping an eye on the kids to make sure no one played too rough and got hurt. Kathy would take over watching the kids until Bosco got home from the hospital for the night. Now, he stood and watched his family enjoying some fun and relaxation.  
  
Faith happened to catch sight of Bosco out of the corner of her eye and called out to him. "Hey, Bos. C'mon and join in," she said, noticing how tired he looked and thinking he could use some fun time with the kids as well. All heads turned toward Bosco and he smiled as Jordan and Jason's eyes lit up at seeing him. "I really do need to spend some more time with them," he thought to himself as he nodded in Faith's direction and headed over to join the melee.  
  
As soon as reached everyone, he was immediately tackled by Charlie, Jordan, and Jason.  
  
"Charlie, watch out for Jason. You almost kicked him," Emily called out as she stood to the side of the group, letting Bosco get his fill. She walked over to where her mother and father sat and took a seat on the brick wall that made up part of the deck.  
  
"You've been really great," Kathy said to her. She'd pretty much let Emily take care of the kids, stopping in each day for a little while to give her a break and see if they needed anything. A couple of times, Kathy had brought the whole group to her house for dinner and a movie and brought them all back later. She kept Jordan and Jason over at her house one night, so that Emily could have some time to herself.  
  
"I'm glad I could help out," Emily said, slightly embarrassed. Faith put a hand on Emily's shoulder.  
  
"Well, we better head back down. You guys have school tomorrow," Fred said, standing up and looking at his watch.  
  
"Yeah," Faith agreed, standing as well. "Charlie! We gotta get moving," she called to her son.  
  
"Awww, Mom. Can't we stay a little while longer," he whined back at her, rewarded with Faith's 'get your butt moving' stare. "Okay, okay," Charlie said, slowly getting up.  
  
Bosco managed to stand up despite having Jason in one arm and Jordan hanging off the other. Walking over to the group of adults, he was talking to the kids to get them to calm down. Reluctantly, Jordan let go and ran over to the swings. Jason, exhausted, was reduced to laying his head on Bosco's shoulder while he watched Jordan on the swing.  
  
"Emily. I really want to thank you for all your help. I don't know how we would have managed if you hadn't come up here. Thanks," Bosco said, leaning over and giving her a hug.  
  
"It's no problem. I had fun. I decided that I'm definitely not ready for a full-time family of my own yet, but it was fun," she said, everyone laughing.  
  
"Well, that's good to hear," Fred said, looking at Faith.  
  
"I mean it though. I really owe you big time," Bosco said, walking into the house behind everyone. He looked back at Jordan and after she saw that everyone was going in, she jumped off the swing as it was in mid-air, making Bosco flinch until she landed safely, and joined them. "I really hate it when you do that, Bug," he said as she reached him.  
  
She gave him a big smile and said, "I know, Daddy. But, it's fun." Tousling her hair, he guided her into the house ahead of him.  
  
"I checked on your apartment before we came up today. Here's your mail, even though its junk mail, and here's some paperwork from work. Swersky wanted me to ask what your plans are. He's probably gonna give you a call this week sometime, but he said don't rush back until you're ready," Faith told him.   
  
Kathy took Jason from him. He was almost asleep on Bosco's shoulder, but needed a bath desperately before bedtime. "Thanks," he said to Kathy as she took him. "I'll see you in a little bit," he told Jason as he whined a little as Kathy took him.  
  
"Thanks, Faith. I think I'm gonna take a run down this Friday. My Mom wants to watch the kids for the weekend and Jordan only has a half a day at school for conferences," Bosco told her. "Tell Lieu I'll stop in and see if he's around if he doesn't reach me on the phone."  
  
"Will do. You got everything, Em?" Faith asked as Emily came out of the spare room with her bags. She nodded that she did.  
  
"Okay," Fred said, reaching out and shaking Bosco's hand. "Let us know if you need anything. I put more food in the freezer for you, so you should be set for a little bit."  
  
"Thanks, Fred," Bosco said walking the four of them out into the driveway to the truck, with Jordan tagging along behind with Emily.  
  
"Let me know if you want me to come up for a weekend," Emily offered. "I mean it," she said when Bosco started to object.  
  
"Em, you should be hanging with your friends, having fun. You did enough for a while, but I'll remember you if I'm in a pinch," Bosco said.  
  
Bosco and Jordan stood in the doorway as the Yokas' pulled out and drove off. Turning to go back in the house, he looked back at Jordan who was still watching the truck drive off. "What's up?" he asked, walking back and squatting down beside her.  
  
"Is Mommy coming home?" she asked, looking Bosco straight in the eye.  
  
He quickly took hold of her by both shoulders and, looking her straight back in the eye and with a firm voice, said, "Yes, Jord, Mommy's coming home, but not yet. She's still sleeping."  
  
"I want to see her," she said, her voice quieter and he saw her bottom lip tremble.   
  
"Well, its not that you can't see her. I just thought that it would upset you if she didn't wake up while you were there. Because, we don't know when she's gonna wake up. Do you understand that?" he asked.  
  
She nodded. "Emily told me that her brain is making her sleep so that all her energy can go to getting better. But, I just want to see her," she said again, a tear escaping down her cheek.  
  
Bosco pulled her close. "Okay then. After school tomorrow, I'll come get you and take you over to see Mommy."  
  
"Okay," she said, giving him a hug. Bosco stood and took her back into the house to get washed up and ready for bed.  
  
Bosco had gotten Jordan to bed and had just finished putting Jason down for the night. He walked back into the family room where Kathy had the fireplace lit. Sitting down heavily on the couch, he leaned his head back and let out a slow, deep breath.  
  
"Any change?" Kathy asked him, as she watched him stare into the fire. He shook his head.  
  
"No. Nothing yet. Just some frowns and a few squeezes of my hand," he said, the warmth of the fire making his body relax. Abruptly, he sat forward. He still had to go back to the hospital to check in and say goodnight. There'd been a few times that he'd fallen asleep in the chair alongside Jennifer and not come home at all. "Kath, I want to thank you for all your help. Between you and Emily, I haven't had to worry about a thing. You guys have done everything with the kids, with the house, with everything. I've been able to spend all my time with Jennifer. I really appreciate it," he said, looking over at his sister-in-law.  
  
"Maurice," she said. "Why don't you let me go check on her and say goodnight. I have to go by that way on my way home anyway and you look exhausted," she said as he started shaking his head indicating that he was going back. "Give yourself a good night's rest. Jason's been waking up with bad dreams, I think. I think he needs you here tonight. And, you need to keep yourself from getting sick so that when Jen wakes up, you'll be there. That's when she'll really need you. Please, let me do this tonight," she insisted.  
  
He looked from the fire back to Kathy and felt just how tired he actually was. "Alright. But, if there's any change I want you to call me."  
  
"Of course I will. I'll stay for a little while and talk to her. If you want I'll even call you on the phone from her room before I leave," she said.  
  
"Thanks, Kathy. And, thank Peter and the kids too - for sharing you with Jordan and Jason," he said, sitting back.  
  
"That's what family is all about," she told him as they got up and he walked her to the door. He kissed her cheek and watched from the doorway as she pulled out and headed toward the hospital.  
  
He turned back and walked into the kitchen, the growling of his stomach reminding him that he hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast. He opened the refrigerator and took out one of Fred's creations. Heating it up in the microwave, he sat down in front of the fireplace, turned on the television and ate.  
  
Faith called about 9:00 to say that they'd arrived home safely. And, Kathy had called around 10:00, when the nurses were just about kicking her out of the hospital. Bosco made sure the fire was out, checked the door locks, turned off the lights and headed upstairs.  
  
He checked on each of the kids and Jordan stirred as he tucked her in. "Daddy?" she said, groggily.  
  
"Yes, Bug. Go back to sleep," he said as he kissed her forehead and watched her eyes flutter closed again.  
  
After checking on Jason, he walked into his bedroom and took a shower. He threw on some sweats and a t-shirt and climbed into bed. No sooner had his head hit the pillow when Jason started crying - a shrill, 'scared to death' cry. Bosco jumped up and ran into his room to see him kneeling in the middle of the crib with tears streaming down his face. He reached in and picked him up.  
  
"Ssshhhh, ssshhhh," he said as he held him tightly against him, rubbing his back. "It's okay. Daddy's here," he said, sitting in the rocker in his room and talking softly to him. Each time it seemed like he'd gone back to sleep, Bosco would start to put him back in his crib, but Jason would wake up and start screaming again. He tried everything. Changed his diaper, checked to make sure he didn't have a fever and then rocked him again. The same thing would happen each time he tried to put him to bed.  
  
Finally, he started walking with him and ended up in his bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed, exhaustion winning the fight that he and Jennifer had had about letting the kids sleep in their bed. "It just gets them thinking they can sleep with us all the time. I'm telling you, you'll be sorry," he remembered her saying the first time that Jordan had come into the room with a nightmare after they were together.  
  
He moved to the head of the bed, leaning back against the pillows, and reached for the remote for the television in the room. Clicking it on and turning the volume down, he got comfortable against the pillows with Jason lying across his chest, his head snuggled closely under Bosco's chin.  
  
After about ten minutes of fighting to keep from falling asleep, he gently slid down so that he was lying on the bed. He shifted Jason so that he was alongside of him and felt the child snuggle up closer. Pulling, the covers over them, he was just about asleep when he heard a soft knock on the door.  
  
"Daddy?" Jordan said in a whisper.  
  
"What's up, Hon," he said, turning his head in her direction.  
  
"I can't sleep. Is it okay if I come in with you for a little while?" she asked, taking a few tentative steps into the room.  
  
He carefully moved himself and Jason to the side and held the covers open for Jordan. "Careful of Jason," he told her as she climbed in alongside her brother. "Just this once. Mommy'd kick my butt if she knew I let you guys do this," he said as he threw the covers across her as well.   
  
He didn't even remember pushing the button on the remote to turn off the television. The next thing he knew, he was awakened to the sound of the news coming from the alarm on the clock radio. He looked over at the two kids who still slept soundly.  
  
"Hey guys," he said, gently nudging them. "Time to get moving. School today, Jord." The kids slowly started to awake and Bosco climbed out of bed and opened the curtains to let the sunshine in. That always got Jason up and today was no different. He crawled to the edge of the bed and Bosco picked him up. He was barely able to contain his excitement as Bosco carried him downstairs to get breakfast started. "Let's go, Jord. Move 'em out!" he called over his shoulders. "Pick out your clothes for school and I'll get you some breakfast."  
  
"'Kay," she called after him, climbing out of bed and heading for her room.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
TBC... 


	11. Chapter 11

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part  
  
Chapter 11  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Bosco, with Jason in his arms, watched and waved as Jordan boarded her school bus and headed off to school. She'd been hard to calm down all morning since she knew he was going to take her to see Jennifer when she got home.  
  
"Okay, Buddy. Let's get you off to the sitter so I can go check on Mom," he said, turning to go back into the house.  
  
"Mom," Jason repeated with a smile.  
  
"Yeah, Mom," Bosco said back, adding a tickle under his arm which made him flail. Bosco loosened his grip, pretending to drop him and then tightened his grip again. That seemed to be his favorite game at the moment because he let out a squeal that Bosco thought would bring the neighbors running.  
  
Bosco looked through the bag that he'd packed the night before to make sure that he had everything he needed. He grabbed the extra diapers off the table, not realizing he'd picked up his cell phone - which remained turned off - and stuffed it all into the bag.  
  
"Okay, Jason. Let's hit it," he said, scooping him up and heading out to his car. Once everything was loaded up, he pulled the car out of the garage and hit the button on the remote to close the door. As he pulled out of the driveway and headed up the street, the phone in the kitchen began to ring, with no one there to hear it.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^***^*  
  
"No answer at home. I tried the cell number he left too, but I keep getting voice mail," the nurse told Jennifer's doctor.  
  
"Oh well. Keep trying. But, I'm sure he'll be here soon enough. He hasn't missed a morning yet. At least we'll be able to give him some good news," the doctor said, making a note in the chart he was working on and heading off to see another patient.  
  
The nurse headed back into Jennifer's room to keep an eye on her for any more signs of improvement. She'd shown signs this morning of becoming more awake. She'd opened her eyes a couple of times when asked to do so, and she even turned her head toward the doctor's voice once.  
  
"Doctor, I wasn't able to reach your husband yet, but I'll keep trying. He should be here soon though," the nurse told Jennifer as she checked a few things on her monitors and straightened things up around the room. It was normal procedure to keep someone in the room with a patient that was coming out of a coma. They didn't want the person to wake up with no one there. They'd be disoriented enough and didn't need to be terrified as well.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Bosco pulled into the hospital parking lot and gave the lot attendant his usual greeting along with the coffee and doughnut he supplied him every morning.  
  
They chatted for a few minutes and Bosco headed into the hospital. He looked up at the clear, blue sky and was reminded of what the sky looked like the morning of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. He shook that feeling off and returned to the unusually upbeat feel he'd had all morning.  
  
He grabbed a newspaper from the little shop in the hospital lobby and continued upstairs to Jennifer's room. The elevator doors opened and he stepped out and glanced toward the nurse's station to call his usual greetings. Before he could get the words out, the nurse called out to him.  
  
"We've been trying to reach you," she said, standing up and hurrying over to him.  
  
"What? What happened?" Bosco said, concern and dread creeping into his mood. He reached for his hip as he simultaneously started toward Jennifer's room and realized that his phone wasn't clipped to his belt.  
  
"No. It's good. Sorry," the nurse said.  
  
"Susan, what is it?" Bosco said as he hurried toward Jennifer's room. He reached the doorway and the dread almost prevented him from entering the room.  
  
"She's waking up," Susan called after him as she followed.  
  
He practically stumbled into the room and saw a couple of doctors around Jennifer's bed.  
  
"Doc?" he said in almost a whisper. He cleared his throat, took a couple more steps into the room and called out again.  
  
This time, the doctor heard him and turned to face him. He was smiling and Bosco felt relief. "Is she really awake?" he asked.  
  
"Well, she's getting there. She's opening her eyes more frequently when we ask her to and she's turning her head to follow voices. These are all good signs of improvement; however, don't be surprised if she stays like this for a little while," the doctor explained.   
  
"Please, come in and see for yourself," he said, stepping to the side to let Bosco in.   
  
Bosco looked at Jennifer and noticed that there seemed to be a little more color to her cheeks and the head of her bed had been raised slightly higher. He walked up to her side and took her hand.  
  
"Jen? It's me. Can you open your eyes for me?" he said, his stomach doing flips at the thought that she was finally coming out of it.  
  
He watched her brow crease and called out to her again. "Jen. Please look at me. Show me those beautiful eyes," he said, brushing a stray hair from her cheek.  
  
She turned her head in his direction and he could tell that she was trying to open her eyes. He kept talking to her and finally her eyes fluttered open. They didn't appear to be focusing on him, but the doctor said that was normal when patients began to wake up.  
  
"Jen," Bosco said, a huge smile breaking out on his face. "Thank God. I'm so glad to see your eyes," he said, leaning over to kiss her cheek. He sat back and noticed the confused look on her face. She was looking back and forth between the doctor and Bosco.   
  
"Doc?" Bosco asked as he continued to look at Jennifer.  
  
"Jennifer. Do you know who this is?" the doctor asked her. Bosco's heart jumped as he saw the slight shake of her head.  
  
"Jennifer, this your husband. Bosco," the doctor told her as if the name had simply slipped her mind.  
  
Jennifer started to try and form a word and only a whisper came out. Bosco moved closer and asked her to repeat what she had tried to say. The doctor saw the look on Bosco's face as he sat up and instantly knew that something was amiss. He put a hand on Bosco's shoulder.  
  
"What did she say?" the doctor asked him.  
  
He pulled his gaze away from Jennifer and looked at the doctor. "She said, 'No. Jeff,'" Bosco told him.  
  
"Jeff?" the doctor asked, confused.  
  
The nurse, who was one of the nurses that had worked with Jennifer before and knew Bosco from when he was in the hospital being treated by Jennifer, leaned over to the doctor.  
  
"Jeff was Dr. Boscorelli's first husband. He was killed a number of years ago," she explained.  
  
"Oh," the doctor said in almost a dismissive tone. "This is absolutely normal. Her memories are all confused. Totally normal. Likely, she'll just need some time to get them straightened out," he told Bosco.  
  
"Likely?" Bosco questioned.  
  
"Well, there's always the possibility that she's suffered some memory loss. We'll just have to wait and see, I'm afraid," the doctor told him. "We'll continue doing some tests to see what we can find out. In the meantime, she's just about worn herself out. Let's let her get some rest, shall we?"  
  
"C'mon, Bosco. Let's go get some coffee. They'll be a little while more doing some tests anyway," Susan told him as she took him by the arm.  
  
Still slightly in shock, he allowed himself to be pulled from her room. Before he realized it, he was walking down the hall with Susan.  
  
"What the hell just happened?" he asked as she guided him into the nurses' lounge.  
  
"What just happened is that your wife is coming out of her coma," Susan said, handing him a cup of coffee.  
  
He took the cup and set it down on the table. "She doesn't know who the hell I am!" he stated.   
  
"You heard the doctor - it's not uncommon. She's suffered an injury to her brain. Her memories are a little confused," Susan said, trying to calm him down. She'd seen this many times and knew that she had to get him calmed down, or he was going to upset Jennifer and make her progress slower.  
  
"A little confused?!" he said, scoffing. "She thinks her dead husband is still alive! She has NO idea who the hell I am!" he said as he started to pace.  
  
Susan sat back and sipped her coffee, deciding to let him continue to pace a little and let him calm down.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
TBC... 


	12. Chapter 12

Waiting Is The Hardest Part  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Bosco and Kathy sat in the conference room with Dr. Samuels as they waited for the neurologist to get there. Bosco had called his sister-in-law after the shock of Jennifer waking up and not knowing who he was had worn off a little. She'd had Peter get Jordan and Jason and take them back to their house.  
  
Now, they were waiting to talk to the neurologist to see where to go from here.  
  
"Well, she did ask where Jordan was?" Kathy mentioned. "So, she must at least remember her." She looked over at Bosco and saw the worry on his face.  
  
"Maurice, I'm sure she'll get her memories back. It just may take some time," she said, covering his hand that rested on the table with her own.  
  
"Doc?" Bosco said, asking Dr. Samuels' opinion. Before the doctor could answer, the door swung open and in walked Dr. Evers, the neurologist, and a woman.  
  
"Sorry to keep everyone waiting," he said, rushing in and closing the door behind them. "This is Dr. Moore. She's on our psychiatric service here at Albany Med," he said.  
  
"A psychiatrist?" Bosco asked. "She's not crazy, she's sick."  
  
"Mr. Boscorelli, Dr. Evers asked me to sit in on Dr. Boscorelli's case just in an advisory capacity. We want to evaluate her and see to what extent her memories are unclear to her. For instance, I'm told she believes her first husband, Jeff Tate, is still alive and that they are still together, is that correct?"  
  
Every time he heard it, it was as if someone had punched him in the stomach. "Um, yeah. But, she remembers Jordan," he said. "It's just me and probably our son, Jason, that she doesn't remember," he added.  
  
"And, how old is Jason?" she asked him.  
  
"He just turned eight months," Bosco answered.  
  
"Well, that's not that long ago. I'm sure the memory of having another child is not that far below the surface. Jordan has just been established in her life longer," Dr. Evers tried to explain.  
  
"But, we're getting ahead of ourselves," Dr. Samuels' interrupted. "For all we know, she could recover her memories at any moment. We're just not sure. The question before us is whether or not to wait to see if things straighten out on their own, or if we should try to hasten the process along somehow."  
  
"What if we brought Jordan and Jason in to see Jennifer? Would something like that tell us how far back her memories go?" Kathy asked.  
  
"You mean like, if she saw us all together would it jog her memory?" Bosco asked her.  
  
"It's just a thought," Kathy said, shrugging her shoulders and looking around at the doctors.  
  
"It might be worth a try. Do you think you'd be able to explain things to Jordan and make her understand what's going on with Jennifer?" Dr. Samuels asked Bosco.  
  
"I'll be more than happy to help explain things to Jordan with you, if you'd like," offered Dr. Evers.  
  
"Yeah, that would be good," Bosco agreed.  
  
"I'll call Peter and have him bring them over," Kathy said, standing up to go use the phone. After she'd left, Bosco and the doctors continued their discussion and it was decided that they would just have Bosco bring Jordan in first and not throw Jason at her right away until they saw how she reacted.  
  
"Boscorelli," he answered, pulling the ringing cell phone from his pocket.  
  
"Bosco, it's Lt. Swersky," came the voice from the other end.  
  
"Hey, Lieu. What's up?" Bosco asked.  
  
"Yokas told me you were coming down this weekend and stopping in. I just wanted to let you know that I'd be out at a conference. But, I'm leaving some papers at the desk that I need you to fill out to cover you while you're on leave," he told Bosco.  
  
"Oh, um. I'm not gonna be able to come down there this weekend, Lieu. Jen woke up and we're doing some tests and stuff to see how things are," Bosco told him.  
  
"She's awake! That's great news. No problem. I'll just throw the forms in the mail and send them up. Just get them back to me as quick as you can, but next week sometime is fine. So, uh, how's she feeling? I mean, have you been able to talk with her?" the Lieutenant asked him.  
  
"Um, yeah we talked a little. She's still pretty weak and there's some, um.., well, there's some memories that are mixed up," Bosco told him, trying not to let his tone give away his feelings.  
  
"Mixed up? Well, did the doctors tell you anything about what to expect?" Lieu asked.  
  
"That's what some of the tests are," Bosco answered.  
  
"You okay, Boscorelli? I mean you don't sound that good," he noted.  
  
"Yeah, well, it's been a rough time. I guess we're all just wiped out. But, hey, I'll get the forms back to you as soon as I get them. Thanks for calling," he said, trying to sound more upbeat.  
  
"Yeah, okay. Like I said, next week's okay to get the papers back to me. Keep in touch and call if you need anything," Swersky said.  
  
"Will do. Thanks, Lieu," Bosco answered and severed the connection.  
  
"Yokas!" the Lieutenant called out to Faith as she walked out of the locker room and toward roll call.  
  
"Yeah, Lieu," she said, turning back and walking toward him.  
  
"I just talked to Boscorelli. He's not coming down this weekend. His wife woke up and she's having some tests so he's staying up there," he told her.  
  
"Jennifer's awake?! That's great. I wonder why he didn't call us to let us know?" Faith wondered.  
  
"Maybe it just happened and he didn't have a chance. He did say she was having some tests. Something about some mixed up memories? He sounds worn out," he added, knowing that she'd call him later and find out what was going on. He didn't know for sure, but he knew something wasn't right.  
  
"Maybe I'll give him a call on my meal break…," Faith said, more to herself than anyone else, as she walked back toward the roll call room.  
  
It had taken some time, but Jordan finally seemed to understand that things weren't all perfect with her mother yet. Bosco had explained to her that because of the bump on her head, Jennifer was mixed up about a few things, and didn't remember some other stuff. Both he and the doctor had helped her to understand that Jennifer might talk about things from a long time ago and think that it was stuff that had just happened. It took a little longer to explain to her how Jennifer could not remember that Jeff had died and that she didn't remember Bosco and possibly Jason right now. Bosco wasn't sure how much they should tell her, but the doctor told him that Jennifer could very well say something about the past and totally take Jordan by surprise. With Dr. Evers' help, they were able to explain it in a way that Jordan seemed to understand.  
  
Now, Jordan and Kathy were about to walk into Jennifer's room. Bosco would walk in holding Jason shortly.  
  
"Ready?" Bosco said, kneeling on one knee in front of Jordan.  
  
"Uh huh," Jordan answered timidly.  
  
Bosco gave her a hug and whispered in her ear. "It's okay Bug. Everything will work out, it just may take a little more time. At least she's awake, right?" he said, holding her at arm's length and giving her his best smile.  
  
She nodded and Kathy took her by the hand. Kathy gave Bosco an encouraging look and the two walked into the hospital room.  
  
"Mommy?" Jordan said quietly as she looked at her mother lying in the bed with her eyes closed. She thought she was sleeping.  
  
Jennifer opened her eyes and turned toward the voice. "Jennifer!" she said with delight. "I'm so glad to see you. Come here so I can give you a hug," she said, holding her arms out for her daughter. Jordan quickly walked over to her mother, relieved that she was recognized.  
  
Kathy helped her onto the bed alongside Jennifer and sat in the chair next to her. "So, how are you feeling now? Better?"  
  
"Yeah. Just tired, but that's normal," she told her sister as she looked over her daughter. "I can't believe how much you seem to have grown," she told her, suddenly realizing how much older Jordan was than she seemed to remember.  
  
Kathy noticed the confused look on her sister's face and started to get worried. She was relieved to hear the door open behind her and see the doctor walk in.  
  
"Jennifer?" Kathy asked. "Are you alright?"  
  
"I…, um…," Jennifer stammered and tears started to fill her eyes. "Jeff's…," she started and then trailed off, not wanting to upset Jordan.  
  
Dr. Moore stepped forward just then as she noticed what was going on. "Kathy, why don't you take Jordan to get a drink. I just want to talk to Jennifer for a few minutes."  
  
"Um, sure. Jordan, let's go get some pop," Kathy said, trying to lighten the tension in the room.  
  
As soon as the door closed behind them, Jennifer said, "My God. Jeff's dead. How could I forget that?"  
  
"It's perfectly normal, Dr. Tate," Dr. Moore reassured her. "Things are just a little confused right now. But, it's a good sign that you're remembering things this quickly," she said, as Jennifer continued to shed tears at the new memory of her husband being killed. It was as if she'd just received the news all over again.  
  
"Jordan's so much older than I remember. How many years have I lost?" she said, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She always paced when she was trying to reason things out or when she was worried about something. She tried to stand and Dr. Moore let her, but stayed close in case she got light-headed or weak. The doctor followed Jennifer over to the window and stood alongside.  
  
"Well, let's try to figure that out. Obviously you remember your late husband being alive," she offered. "What year was that?" 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13  
  
"Maybe I should go in there, see if everything's okay," Bosco said, standing upbruptly. It had been about 45 minutes since Kathy and Jordan came out of Jennifer's room. Kathy told Bosco what had happened and he noticed the confused look on Jordan's face.  
  
After handing Jason over to Kathy, Bosco gathered Jordan up into his arms and walked to the end of the hallway with her - away from everyone else. Sitting on the ledge of the window, he balanced Jordan on his lap.  
  
"You okay?" he asked her quietly. She only nodded, not speaking and looking at the floor.  
  
"Jord?" he prodded again and saw a single tear escape from her eye just before the rest started to stream.  
  
"Mommy's sad about Daddy," she managed to get out before she snuggled into Bosco's chest, feeling the warmth of his touch as his arms enveloped her.  
  
"Oh, Jordan," Bosco said, holding her tighter. "It'll be okay. Mommy'll get better. I promise," he told her, hoping to himself that he wasn't telling her a lie. He held her for another few minutes as her crying subsided.  
  
Now, he approached the door to Jennifer's room, determined to find out what was going on behind that door. Just as he reached for the handle, the door opened, pulling Bosco into the room.  
  
Bosco recovered and started to enter the room as the doctor was coming out. The doctor prevented him from entering, putting a hand gently against his chest and coaxing him back out into the hallway. Just as the door closed, Bosco heard Jennifer's soft crying.  
  
"Doc?" Bosco asked, looking back toward the door and fighting his urge to push past and into the room.  
  
"Bosco. Give her some time. She's remembering things - slowly - but remembering them just the same. She's grieving for the husband she lost all over again," the doctor explained.  
  
"Should she be alone? I mean, what if she starts remembering more?" he asked nervously.  
  
"I'll go in with her," Kathy offered.  
  
"That wouldn't hurt," the doctor agreed and saw the look on Bosco's face. "I'm afraid her memories of you haven't yet returned and it may hinder the process she's going through now."  
  
Bosco ran a hand threw his hair and looked around, trying to process his feelings. He looked over at his sister-in-law and, giving a sigh, nodded. "Alright. You go in Kathy," he said, taking Jason from her.  
  
"Why don't you take the kids down to get something to eat," Kathy suggested. "I'll be sure to call if anything happens," she said, referring to a memory breakthrough.  
  
He watched Kathy go through the door and stood in the hallway for a moment with his children, collecting his thoughts. He looked up the hallway and saw Jennifer's doctor at the nurses' station, updating charts. He sat Jason down next to Jordan and walked the small distance toward the doctor, keeping an eye on the kids as he went.  
  
"Doc?" he called out and waiting for the doctor to look over at him.  
  
"I know this is very difficult for you, but I'm sure that we can get her past all this and back 'up to date'," the doctor advised him.  
  
"Yeah, well, I understand it - somewhat, but the kids are pretty confused," Bosco conceded. "I was just wondering how she is - I mean despite this memory thing. Health-wise she's going to be okay, right?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, I believe she'll make a full recovery medically. Of course, she may need some physical therapy to get her fine motor skills back, but I don't see that taking very long at all. She should be able to return to her duties here at the hospital in as little as a few months. In fact, I'd say that she could probably go home by tomorrow and just have therapy there, or come back here to the hospital," the doctor advised him.  
  
"Home tomorrow? Wow, that's fast," Bosco said, not voicing his concerns about her coming home to their home without remembering him and Jason yet. Although, the thought that maybe being home would jog her memory came into his mind and he was hopeful.  
  
"I think that this evening, Jennifer, you and I should meet and go over the fact that she is indeed remarried and has another child," the doctor stated. "She should be prepared for you being in the home when she returns. I won't disillusion you, Bosco. It WILL be difficult at first, but with time I see no medical reason for Jennifer not to make a full and complete recovery," the doctor assured him.  
  
"Um, okay. So, I'll have Kathy take the kids home in a little bit and then we can all talk?" Bosco said, nervous about the upcoming meeting.  
  
"I'll find you in a little while," the doctor told him before returning to what he was doing.  
  
Bosco returned the kids and stood looking out the window for a moment. "Daddy?" Jordan asked quietly.  
  
"Yeah, Bug," Bosco replied, shaking himself out of his thoughts and brightening his attitude for the kids.  
  
"I think Jason's hungry," she said, looking at her brother who was trying to suck her finger.  
  
"I think you're right," he replied. He picked up Jason and held a hand out for Jordan. They walked toward the cafeteria to get some dinner.  
  
TBC... 


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
  
Bosco followed Dr. Samuels and Dr. Moore into Jennifer's room. They'd talked outside for a few minutes about how things were going to be discussed and brought up to Jennifer and had all agreed to let Dr. Samuels start the conversation after a brief examination. Now, Bosco followed the doctors into the room and hung back so as not to upset Jennifer for now.  
  
"Well, Jennifer. How are you feeling tonight? A little stronger?" Samuels asked her with a cheery voice.  
  
"Better, just tired," Jennifer replied, eyeing Dr. Moore and Bosco suspiciously. She looked like she wanted to say something to Bosco, but she hesitated and Bosco's hopes dropped again. He'd hoped that she'd finally remembered him and this conversation would all be unnecessary.  
  
"That's to be expected, but you already know that," Dr. Samuels replied. "I'd like to just do a quick check on you again and then we'll stop bothering you for the night after we all have a talk. You remember Dr. Moore," Samuels said, indicating the doctor standing alongside him and Jennifer nodded. "And, Maurice Boscorelli," he continued, stepping aside so that Jennifer could again see him standing in the corner of the room.  
  
Jennifer's gaze lingered on Bosco almost as if she were willing herself to remember him. "I'm sorry," was all she said to him, tears of frustration filling her eyes, but not quite spilling over.  
  
"Jen," Bosco said softly, as if to tell her it was okay. "We'll figure it out. I promise," he said to her, and she noticed his eyes get glassy as well.  
  
Dr. Samuels pulled the curtain around Jennifer's bed to give her some privacy while he did his examination, but more to give her a chance to regain her composure.   
  
Bosco turned away and took in a deep breath, urging himself to be strong for her.  
  
Bosco returned home after saying goodnight to a tense Jennifer. She'd taken the news that she was going home in the morning well, but knew that having to cope with a "stranger" in her house was going to be difficult.  
  
Bosco had just said goodnight to Kathy, the kids were asleep, and he was left to wander around the quiet house. He lingered at the fireplace, taking his time looking at all the pictures of their life together that lined the mantle. He thought back to the first night he'd ever been here and the pictures that were here before these - those of her first husband and their happy times together. Some of the pictures remained, mostly for the sake of Jordan to remember her father.  
  
He paused longer than usual at the last picture - one of the four of them on their last vacation. They'd taken a trip to the beach down in Wildwood. This picture was taken by a woman who was walking by. He laughed when he remembered Jason's reaction as he held him over the water and let the waves splash his feet. He'd screeched with delight.  
  
He continued his walk around the house, checking windows and doors along the way in preparation of turning in for the night. He opened the refrigerator in the dark kitchen - the light from the open door splaying across the room and onto the opposite wall. He picked up the carton of orange juice and lifted it to his lips to take a drink, stopping just before he touched it to his mouth. He heard Jennifer's voice yelling at him that he wasn't a bachelor anymore and he had to have manners. He still felt the poke in his ribs that she'd given him back then and remembered dropping the carton at the tickle. He looked at the floor and imagined them both cleaning up the mess again - laughing the whole time. Without taking his drink, he put the carton of juice back in the refrigerator and shut the door. He walked out of the kitchen and headed up to bed - thoughts of what tomorrow's homecoming would bring.  
  
"So, Mommy will be home when I get home from school, right?" Jordan asked Bosco for the umpteenth time.  
  
"Yes, Bug. Mommy will be here when you get home. But, remember, she still needs to rest and take it easy - she may even be napping when you get home," he reminded her as he put breakfast on the table. He watched as she tried to contain her excitement, and pitied the teacher that had to put up with her at school today.  
  
"Mama," Jason said between mouthfuls of the cheerios Bosco has put on his high chair tray.  
  
"Yes, Mama," Bosco repeated to him, handing him his sippy cup of juice. They'd told Jennifer about him last night and she was mortified that she wouldn't remember her own child. They'd calmed her down eventually, but Bosco knew that she was still quite upset. He silently hoped that being home, with her kids around her, would jog something loose.  
  
"Daddy!" Jordan said urgently, drawing Bosco from his thoughts. He looked over at her and, from the look on her face, knew he must have been lost in thought and not heard her.  
  
"Yeah, Jord?" he asked, putting the milk, juice and butter back into the refrigerator.  
  
"My bus will be here in a minute and I can't find my shoes," she told him impatiently.  
  
"Well, let's see where you left them. If I had to guess, I'd say they're right here in the back hall where you left them when Aunt Kathy brought you home last night," he said, re-emerging from the hall with her shoes in his hand.  
  
She rolled her eyes at his sarcasm and sat down to put them on. He tugged on her pigtail on his way by to get Jason from his chair and finish getting him ready.  
  
Jordan must have sensed his mood, because as he was picking Jason up, he suddenly felt her arms wrap around his legs as she hugged him.  
  
"Hey, what's that for?" he asked, reaching down with one hand to return the hug.  
  
"That's a just because hug," she told him.  
  
"Just because what?" he asked.  
  
"Just because you look sad today," she said, releasing her grip and gathering up her book bag and lunchbox. "Don't worry, Daddy. It'll be okay," she said, sounding much older than her years.  
  
"I know it will, Jord. But, thanks," he said, following her out the door and down the driveway just in time to catch the bus.  
  
TBC... 


	15. Chapter 15

Waiting Is The Hardest Part  
  
Chapter 15  
  
Bosco paced around the living room after making sure things were picked up and in order in the bedroom and around the house. He didn't know how tired Jennifer would be when she'd finally made it home after being discharged from the hospital.  
  
He looked again at his watch. Kathy was bringing her home. They'd talk and thought that would be best. It would be awkward enough between the two of them tonight without the silence of a car ride home. Luckily, the kids would be there to keep Bosco busy tonight. Kathy had offered to take them to her place for the night, but Bosco had told her he wanted the kids home with them.  
  
Now, as he looked at the clock on the wall again, he hoped that they'd get here before Jordan got home from school so she could settle in quietly. Jason was down for his nap. He walked over to the front window to look down the road again, and jumped when the phone rang. He practically sprinted to the kitchen to get it before it rang a second time and woke up Jason.  
  
"Hello," he said quietly into the phone.  
  
"Hey, Bos. It's me. Is this a bad time?" Faith asked, noticing the quietness of his voice and the absence of noise in the background.  
  
"Uh, no. I'm still waiting for them to get home," he told her. He'd talked to her last night and told her about Jennifer coming home today and about her lack of memory of him.  
  
"It's pretty quiet there," Faith told him.  
  
"Yeah, Jordan's not home from school yet and Jason's taking his nap," he told her.  
  
"So, how're you doing?" Faith asked him.  
  
"Me? I'm fine," he lied.  
  
"Bosco, this is me you're talking to, remember?" Faith said sarcastically. "How're you really doing?"  
  
"Really. I'm okay. I'm nervous, but I'm okay. I mean, her memory's gonna come back. I love her and she loves me. We have a great life. Things are gonna fall back into place as soon as she settles in here. The doctor said it could happen without her even realizing its happening. You know, one day she wakes up and its like her memory never left. Or, it could be in the middle of a conversation - you know some topic that jogs her memory or something," he said, speaking quickly.  
  
"Bos! Take a breath! You need to relax. I'm sure you're right, but don't be too upset if it doesn't happen as soon as she walks in the house," Faith told him.  
  
"I know. I just hate this. The kids are all confused and nervous about it too," he told her.  
  
"Well, one day at a time, Partner. You know?" she said, trying to calm him down.  
  
"Yeah, I know. So, how's things down there?" he asked, trying to change the subject so he didn't think about it for a few mintues.  
  
"Same old, same old. Nothing ever changes here - you know that," she told him sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah," he agreed. "So, how's Fred and the kids?"  
  
"They're good. Fred's up for a promotion - shift supervisor - and Em and Charlie are just doing school and waiting for the next vacation from school," she told him.  
  
Bosco heard a car drive up. "I think they're home," he told her and she heard the panic in his voice.  
  
"Okay, Bos. I'll hang up. But, remember. Stay calm. This will all work out. Call me if you need to. If you want me up there, I'm there. You know that," she reminded him.  
  
"Yeah, thanks Faith. I'll talk to you soon," he said, hanging up the phone without waiting for her to say goodbye.  
  
Faith put the phone down, her hand resting on the receiver for a moment.   
  
"So, how's he doing?" Swersky asked as Sully and Davis looked on.  
  
She looked at the three men. "He's a nervous wreck," she admitted.  
  
"Well, can you blame him?" Sully said.  
  
"Man! That's freaky," Davis added.  
  
"Yeah, well all we can do is offer support," Swersky stated. "In the meantime, let's get ready for roll call, Officers."  
  
The three officers headed off to the locker room to get ready for their shift, each silently wishing Bosco luck.  
  
TBC... 


	16. Chapter 16

Waiting Is The Hardest Part  
  
Chapter 16  
  
Bosco opened the front door as Jennifer and Kathy approached. He nervously looked at Jennifer who looked just as nervous as he felt. Kathy stepped through the door first, sort of like an attempt at breaking the ice.  
  
"Hi Maurice," Kathy said cheerfully.  
  
"Hey, Kath," Bosco said, leaning forward and kissing Jennifer's sister on the cheek.  
  
"Hi, Jen," Bosco said, holding the door open for her as she walked in.  
  
"Hello," she responded nervously.  
  
Bosco watched the two women enter and sighed as he walked out to Kathy's car to bring in Jennifer's things from the hospital.  
  
Jennifer entered her house and looked around. Everything was pretty much as she remembered it, with a few differences here and there. She guessed that was to be expected since there had apparently been big changes in her life since Jeff had died.  
  
"You want to head upstairs to your room, or do you want to spend some time down here for a little while?" Kathy asked, adding, "Jordan should be coming home from school in a little bit. I know she's excited to see you home."  
  
Jennifer smiled at the thought of Jennifer. "I can't wait to see her either," Jennifer said, with a smile. "I think I'll wait here for her," she said as she wandered toward the pictures on the mantle.  
  
She drew in a sharp breath at some of the pictures showing her and Maurice Boscorelli, obviously closer to each other than they were right now. She was startled by the sound of Kathy's voice behind her.  
  
"It's okay, Jen. You're safe here. I promise," Kathy whispered to her sister as Bosco came through the front door with Jennifer's things. Both women looked over at him and he couldn't help but notice the "trapped" look on Jennifer's face and feel discouraged.  
  
"I'll just put these things up in our..., I mean upstairs," he said, looking away and moving toward the stairs.  
  
"You can bring them into the guest room," Jennifer said before he started climbing the stairs. He looked back at her, puzzled.   
  
"I mean..., I don't want to put you out of your own room," she added, a blush coming to her cheeks.  
  
"No, Jennifer...," Bosco said, fighting to keep what he wanted to say - "That's OUR room, your's and mine. We share that bed, this house, this family, this life," - but biting his tongue.  
  
"You'll be more comfortable up there. I'll take the guest room," he said instead. She started to object, but he cut her off, forcing a smile to his face. "I insist," he said. "You'll be closer to Jordan at night," he added.  
  
"Thank you," she said and watched him climb the stairs. She couldn't help but think how defeated he looked and hated putting him through it. He seemed nice enough. She just wished she'd be able to remember, but knew pushing herself wasn't going to help.  
  
She was brought from her thoughts by the sound of Jordan bounding through the front door.  
  
"Mommy!" she shouted, shattering the calm of the house and immediately heading toward Jennifer. Uncle Peter followed her in, having picked her up from school for Bosco.  
  
"Jordan!" Jennifer screeched back, sitting down on the couch to be able to take the girl into her lap. "I'm so glad to see you," Jennifer said, hugging her and receiving a hearty hug back. "How was school today?"  
  
"It was really long. I didn't want to be there today because I knew you'd be coming home, but Daddy told me it would keep me from going crazy waiting for you to get home," Jordan spouted innocently.  
  
Bosco heard Jordan's answer and was the first to notice the stricken look on Jennifer's face at Jordan calling Bosco 'Daddy.'  
  
He made it to the bottom of the stairs and cleared his throat. Jordan looked in the direction of his noise and jumped up excitedly.  
  
"Mommy's finally home, Da..." she started, only to be cut off by Bosco so Jennifer didn't have to hear it again.  
  
"I know, Bug. I told you the day would go faster if you had something to do to occupy your mind," Bosco said as Jordan ran over to give him a hug. He hugged her briefly, not wanting to cause Jennifer any more stress.  
  
"How about we go upstairs? I think I hear Jason waking up," Bosco said, turning to usher Jordan up the stairs.  
  
"When you come down, I think I'll head upstairs and lie down for a bit," Jennifer said.  
  
"Sure," Bosco said. "You want me to help you up the stairs. We'll only be up there for a couple of minutes. But, Jason's been waiting to see you too. But, if you think it's too much right now, I'll hold him off."  
  
Jennifer tensed a little and looked over at her sister and Peter. "Um, no. I'll wait here until you bring him down. I'll say hello to him and then go up - if that's okay?" she said.  
  
"Of course. Good idea," Kathy jumped in. "I'll go get you a drink while Maurice gets Jason."  
  
Bosco hid his disappointment and followed Jordan up the stairs as the girl called out gently to Jason.  
  
"Jay-Jay! Mommy's home. Want to come say hi?" Jennifer said as they entered the darkened room.  
  
Bosco put the shade up in the room to let the afternoon sun in, helping to wake up the toddler.  
  
"Da, da," Jason said, sitting up and giving a big smile.  
  
"Hey, Sport," Bosco said, picking him up and giving him a hug.  
  
"Jason, Mommy's home," Jordan told him again as Bosco put him on the changing table to put on a clean diaper.  
  
"Ma, ma," he repeated with a smile as he kicked his legs and feet. Bosco smiled at the show of excitement and finished changing the diaper.  
  
Peter came in the room a moment later. "How're you doing?" he asked Bosco.  
  
Bosco let out a breath, "Man, its tough. I mean, I want to just hug her and welcome her home and wait on her, but she seems so awkward, so nervous."  
  
"Well, I think everyone is. It's to be expected. You want me or Kathy to stay overnight with you. It's not a problem. Or, if you change your mind and want us to take the kids til you're ready...," Peter offered.  
  
"Thanks, Pete, but I want to try to make things as normal as possible for the kids - - for everyone really," Bosco explained.  
  
"Okay. Well, we're gonna take off in a few minutes then. But, remember, we're here for you as well as for Jennifer. This is gonna work out," he said, trying to bolter Bosco's spirits.  
  
Bosco offered his hand and they shook. "Thanks. You guys have been great. You've made me feel like family from the very beginning," Bosco said, fighting back his emotions. He hadn't been sleeping very well since Jennifer's illness and especially last night in anticipation of her coming home, so every nerve was raw right now.  
  
Kathy came back out of the kitchen with a glass of iced tea for Jennifer. She noticed her looking around the room, the lost look on her face.  
  
"Here you go," she said, catching Jennifer's attention.  
  
Kathy sat down next to her on the couch and covered her sister's hand with her own.  
  
"How're you doin' kiddo?" she asked and almost joined Jennifer when her eyes filled with tears.  
  
"She called him Daddy," Jennifer whispered.  
  
"Ah, Jen," Kathy said, leaning over and enveloping Jennifer in her arms. "He's been her Daddy for the past two years," she said and felt Jennifer's body shaking from sobs.  
  
"She knows that Jeff is her real father. You two have made sure that she doesn't forget him, but the two of them are very close, Jen. He's great with her - loves her very much," Kathy assured her. "Would I leave the kids here with him and you with him if I wasn't 100 percent sure of that?"  
  
"I guess not. I just wish I remembered something. I thought coming home would jar something loose," Jennifer said with frustration as they heard everyone coming down the stairs.  
  
Jennifer quickly sat up, wiped the tears from her cheeks and regained her composure just as Jordan hit the landing.  
  
"Mommy, here's Jason," Jordan called to her. "He's very excited to see you," she added, sounding much older than she was, which made Jennifer chuckle.  
  
"And I'm anxious to meet him as well," Jennifer said, not realizing she sounded like she'd never met the child before. Bosco let the comment slide and continued toward Jennifer with Jason, looking for some sign of recognition.  
  
Nervously, Jennifer reached up as Bosco handed the boy over to her. Jason's arms were outstretched and around Jennifer's neck giving her a hug immediately. His little fist managed to grab a handful of Jennifer's hair and Bosco gently untangled it from his hand. He absently tucked the hair behind Jennifer's ear - a gesture that he'd done numerous times over the last few years. He didn't notice the look on Jennifer's face at the action. Something about it was familiar.  
  
TBC... 


	17. Chapter 17

Waiting Is The Hardest Part  
  
Chapter 17   
  
Jennifer took Jason in her arms. It was as if the shape of him was made for her as she felt a familiar rush of love. She felt an instant maternal instinct toward the child, telling her that he was her's. All outside noise was gone as she stared at the child in her lap. She didn't notice Bosco staring at her and seeing the instant love in her eyes for their son.  
  
"I wish I could remember everything about you," she thought to herself as she lowered her face toward him and took in the scent of him. She didn't notice the pulling of her hair or the tears on her cheeks until she felt Bosco's hand untangle her hair from Jason's grip and tuck it behind her ear. There was something familiar about this man's touch and she blushed slightly.  
  
"Jen?" Bosco asked as he noticed the tears on her cheeks. "Are you okay? Is he hurting you?"  
  
She wiped the tears from her cheek, "No. It's just..., he's beautiful." Jennifer looked from Bosco over to her sister. "I FEEL that he's mine, I just don't remember," she said in frustration, not sure how to express what she was feeling, except to let her tears flow.  
  
Jennifer moved Jason around in her lap so that she could take in his features - every inch of him - as if she were trying to burn them into her memory. She brushed her hand against the side of his cheek and he looked up at her.  
  
"Ma, ma," he said and snuggled into her.  
  
Jennifer had gone upstairs to lie down. She was physically and emotionally drained after her trip home from the hospital and holding Jason again.  
  
Bosco walked upstairs to check on Jordan who hadn't been downstairs in a while. He looked into her room and saw that she wasn't there. He walked down the hallway on his way to check out in the backyard when he noticed the door to his bedroom slightly ajar.  
  
He stopped at the door, pushed it open a little further and saw Jordan curled up next to Jennifer, both sound asleep. He quietly walked into the room and covered Jordan with the blanket as well. Neither one stirred and he quietly walked out, taking a look back before gently closing the door.  
  
Bosco continued downstairs and into the kitchen where Kathy was preparing some dinner. Kathy turned from the counter and caught sight of Bosco as he walked out on the deck at the rear of the house. She watched as he walked over to the rail, placing both hands on the railing and then leaning forward onto his elbows. He looked out into the yard, at nothing in particular that Kathy could see. After a moment, she saw him put his head down on his forearms. She put aside the chicken she was preparing and walked quietly out behind him.  
  
"You okay?" Kathy asked him as she put a hand on his back.  
  
He took in a deep breath as he picked up his head and looked out into the yard again. He didn't want to look her in the eye because he didn't want her to see the emotion in them.  
  
Letting his breath out slowly, he nodded that he was okay. "Just tired, I guess," he said.  
  
"Thanks, by the way," he said to his sister-in-law. He turned toward her.  
  
"For what?" she asked.  
  
"For taking care of everything, for being here, making dinner…, everything," he said gesturing toward the house.  
  
Kathy turned and leaned against the railing so that she was looking back into the house. "It'll be alright, you know," she told him quietly.  
  
He looked over at her. "I hope you're right, Kath. I've waiting too long for all this. I don't know what I'd do if it's gone forever," he said, trailing off and looking away from her. She noticed the catch in his voice as he finished the sentence.  
  
She turned toward him and wrapped her arms around him. "Maurice, you won't lose it. We won't let that happen. Jennifer needs and loves you as much as ever. She just needs to find her way back."  
  
Breaking her embrace, he straightened and walked to the end of the deck in an attempt to regain his composure. "I know, Kathy. I know."  
  
"So, where's Jordan?" Kathy said, changing the subject. "She said she wanted to help me with dinner."  
  
"She's asleep upstairs with Jennifer. I went to look for her – you know, to see if she was okay – and I found her curled up next to Jen. I didn't have the heart to wake her up. She's missed her so much," Bosco answered.  
  
Just then, they heard the sound of Jason in the baby monitor. "But, someone's awake," he said, smiling as he listened to the babble coming through the speaker. He walked into the kitchen, turned off the monitor and headed upstairs to get him before he woke up Jennifer. Kathy followed him in to finish getting dinner into the oven.  
  
TBC… 


	18. Chapter 18

Waiting Is The Hardest Part

Chapter 18

"Yeah, Lieu. No problem. See you then," Bosco finished his conversation as Jennifer walked into the room. Thinking she was interrupting, she mouthed an "I'm sorry" to him and started to leave the room.

"No, Jennifer. It's okay," he called to her, stopping her at the doorframe. "It was just work," he explained as he hung up the phone.

"Oh. I just didn't want to eavesdrop," she said, rubbing the back of her neck like she always did when she was tensed up – usually after a hard surgery case.

"I'm used to it," he said with a slight smile. "You always used to have longer conversations with the people I was on the phone with than I did. You usually ended up taking the phone from me and you and Faith would talk for another hour at least," he said, standing and then fighting the urge to take her into his arms and soothe the tension away. Then he remembered that she didn't have those memories.

"Anyway, I was just confirming with the Lieutenant that I'd be there tomorrow," he said. "You sure you don't mind? 'Cause I could take more time. Only if you're ready," he affirmed.

"No, really. You've done enough. You should get back to work," she said, suddenly realizing that she sounded like she was dismissing a servant or an employee. "I'll be fine," she assured him. "It'll be good to get back to a routine, right?"

After two weeks, it had finally settled down to two adults and two kids living in the same house – the two adults acting merely like acquaintances. It drove Bosco crazy. He'd seen her taking care of the kids, not noticing he was there, and noticed the way she did something. He wanted to go to her, hold her, tell her he loved her, but she wasn't ready for that. She was trying, and on more than one occasion, she told him how frustrated she was. How sorry she was at how much she must be hurting him. All he could do was tell her he understood and not to worry – everything would be fine. He hoped he wasn't lying.

"Your neck hurts?" he said to her, taking a step toward her. She saw him take the step and tried not to tense up more. She hoped that he didn't pick up on it, but she knew he probably did – she could tell by the look on his face. Her sister had assured her that Bosco was safe and would never hurt her. She knew this was true, but she was still tense.

"A little," she said, walking over toward the shelf as if she was looking for something. "It's nothing, just a busy day." She'd gone back to work a few days ago. She hadn't been cleared to return to surgery yet, but she could do some follow-ups on some cases and some consultation work in the E.R., freeing up the surgeons to take care of any traumas. She could triage any cases that came in and get the lab work and tests ordered if the others were stuck in the O.R.

"Are you sure you're not trying to do too much, too soon?" he asked with concern as he walked over to the locked closet, where he kept his off-duty gun. He was second-thinking returning to work tomorrow. Maybe he should stick around here a little longer - just to make sure that Jennifer wasn't taking on too much, too quickly. He'd had this discussion with her doctors and they all assured him that they'd be keeping a close eye on her at the hospital. And, Kathy had assured him that she would be ever ready to help out if need be while he was in the City at work. Still, he had reservations. But, her doctors had told him that getting back to normal routines sometimes worked miracles on bringing memories back.

Jennifer turned to look at him, sensing that he'd moved across the room. She saw him open the door and pull down a box from the top shelf as he pushed the keys back into his pocket after unlocking the box. She saw him take the gun out of the box, check it to see that it was empty and put it on the table with the cleaning supplies.

Bosco heard Jennifer draw in a sharp breath and turned quickly toward her. He saw the confused – or was it scared – look on her face and then remembered he had the gun in his hand. He put it down on the table quickly. "Jennifer, I'm sorry. I was just going to clean it. I'm going back to work tomorrow, remember?" he said to her as some color came back to her face and she seemed to gather herself together some. 

"I know, it's just..., I don't know," she said. "I remember...," she said and then stopped, wondering if she was having a memory of Jeff or of this man.

"You remember what, Jen?" Bosco asked, walking toward her. "Here, sit down. You look like you're about to fall over," he said, helping her to the couch.

"I don't know. I remember seeing that done before – the gun being taken out of the closet, being checked to make sure it was empty – or loaded – I'm not sure," she said, looking back at him. "It was dark. I remember being terrified," she said.

He sat down next to her. "Jen, you're remembering the night that the man broke into the house. The night we were first together. We were in the living room, the fire had just about died out and we were going to head upstairs. We heard glass break and the Anderson's dog barking. Do you remember?" he asked her, his heart just about in his throat.

"I don't know. Maybe something like that. I'm not sure," she said, clearly upset.

He put an arm around her shoulder. "It's okay. You're okay. The doctor said this could happen. You're just getting a flash of memory back. That's all. We went upstairs where you still had Jeff's gun locked up in the closet. I didn't have mine then because I was out of work from my accident – the one you operated on me for. Anyway, I took Jeff's gun out of the box and checked it and loaded it," he said and then decided to stop.

"Look, just relax. You're trembling," he said as he started to massage her neck without even thinking about it.

She felt the soothing way that he worked the muscles of her neck and instantly started to feel relief of the tension there. She closed her eyes as she played the memory flash over in her mind. "Do I remember? Or is it Jeff I'm remembering?" she thought to herself, trying to will herself the remember more.

The next thing she felt was a gentle shake on her shoulder and a whisper. "Jennifer, wake up, honey. You should get upstairs and get a good night's sleep. You fell asleep while I was rubbing your shoulders," she heard as she slowly opened her eyes.

Bosco leaned back as she awakened, not wanting to startle her. "Hi," he said with a smile. "Looks like these magic fingers haven't lost their touch."

"I guess not," Jennifer said, sitting up, suddenly embarrassed. "I guess I'll go up to bed," she said quickly, standing up.

"Okay. Sleep in if you want. I'll get the kids up and going in the morning. You said you didn't have to be to the hospital until later and I want to spend some time with them before I head back to the City tomorrow," Bosco told her as she walked toward the stairs.

"Okay, but wake me before Jordan gets on the bus. I want to wish her a good day and give Jason a kiss before you bring him to the sitter," Jennifer told him as she climbed the stairs.

"I will," he told her. "Goodnight. You're sure you're alright now?" he asked.

"Yes. Thank you. And, thanks for the neck rub. It did the trick," she said as she watched him go back to packing up his things. He didn't notice her linger at the top of the stairs and watch him.

"Some things you do are so familiar and it feels like I'm remembering, but then I lose it," she thought to herself with frustration. She watched him for another moment as he put his bag by the door after locking up his cleaned gun. He went around checking the locks and turning off lights and then went into the guest room off the living room. She stood there for another moment until he turned off the bedside light, leaving the television giving off the only light in the room as he watched the news. She went to her room and lay down, unable to sleep. "Maurice Boscorelli," she said quietly. "Dr. Jennifer Boscorelli," she said, the name still sounding foreign to her.

Bosco lay on the bed watching the news. He'd opened the window a crack and taken off his t-shirt because of the stuffiness in the room. He watched the news until the weather came on and then flipped over to one of the City channels to catch the weather for tomorrow and the upcoming week. He made a mental note to throw a couple of his long-sleeved shirts in the bag in the morning when the weatherman said that there would be some chilly days during the week. He still didn't feel comfortable leaving for the week and he'd told Faith and the Lieutenant that he may have to take some time off during the week if things were coming undone up here at home. They'd told him not to worry about it. The Department had been very good about giving him the time he needed – probably because he was one of the ones who took the least time off and could always be counted on whenever overtime was required – after all, he was in the City for the week usually, coming home early on Saturday mornings to be with his family.

She walked into the darkened room – the only illumination was from the test pattern emanating from the television set. She could see his features clearly. He was sleeping peacefully, except for a furrowed brow occasionally. She was probably the cause of that, she thought to herself. She knelt down alongside the bed, taking in his features, the scent of him, hoping that something would jog her memory. He was certainly handsome enough, she thought to herself as she took in his face and the muscular build usually covered by his t-shirt. She saw the scar on his shoulder from the accident he'd had the night they'd met in the rest area. She'd been told about that night and how badly injured he'd been. Without thinking, she traced the scar on his shoulder.

It was like an electric shock shot through her at the touch and she pulled her hand away as a flash of memory came through her mind. She saw him, lying on the stretcher in the E.R., the bright lights shining down on him. He was so pale and there seemed to be cuts and bruises everywhere. There were nurses and residents around him, starting more IVs, cleaning wounds, taking vital signs. The paramedics that had flown him in were giving her a report of how he'd gotten injured. She heard herself ordering x-rays and blood workups. It was as if she were above herself in that room – almost like the out of body experiences that people with near death experiences describe. She saw herself lean over him and gently tell him, "I've got you, Officer Boscorelli. Just hold on."

She saw him stir and quickly stood up and stepped back, afraid that she'd said it out loud and woken him up. His brow furrowed again and his arm fell to the side of the bed, almost brushing her nightgown. She felt a chill and looked to see the window open. Seeing goosebumps on his arms, she pulled the sheet up over him and walked over and quietly closed the window. She looked on the nightstand for the remote so she could turn off the television. As she reached for it, she was startled by his voice as he quickly sat up.

"Jen?! Are you alright? What's wrong?" he said frantically. She knocked the remote off the nightstand as she jumped.

"Nothing. Everything's fine. I just couldn't sleep and came downstairs to get a drink. I saw the light from the television and came in to ask if you wanted anything. But, you were asleep," she said, talking fast as if she was trying to explain her way out of something to her parents. "You looked cold, so I shut the window. I was just going to turn off the television," she finished, breathless, as she leaned over to pick up the remote at the same time he did.

Their hands both touched the remote at the same time and he held her hand as she tried to pull it away. She looked up at him and their faces were only inches apart. He couldn't help himself. He leaned over and kissed her lips. He was surprised when she didn't pull away immediately, but instead kissed him back. It was a quick kiss, but one that he'd longed for.

He looked at her and saw the stricken look in her eyes. "I'm sorry," he said quickly as she took her hand back. "I'm sorry, Jen," he said again as she walked around the bed and headed for the door.

"Jen?!" he called after her and she stopped and looked back at him.

"It's all right. It's me. I'm sorry. I'm just not ready," she said, as he got out of bed, forgetting that he only had his boxers on.

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just..., I couldn't help...," he said, before she interrupted, having regained her composure and being slightly amused at this man standing before her in his underwear and apologizing to her. She stifled her smile and said,

"It's okay, Maurice. Get some sleep. We'll talk about it in the morning. I'm sorry I woke you."

"I'm not," he said. "Goodnight."

TBC...


	19. Chapter 19

Waiting Is The Hardest Part

Chapter 19

"That's like the fifth time you've checked your phone in the last 45 minutes, Bos," Faith pointed out to him as he tucked the phone back up under the sun visor.

Bosco nodded impatiently. "Yeah, thanks for the scorekeeping," he said grumpily.

"This I didn't miss," she said to him, looking out the side window. She also didn't see him reach for his portable radio microphone.

"55-David, Central," he said into the microphone.

Faith scanned the streets around the area they were cruising through. "What do you see?" she asked him, unable to spot anything out of the ordinary.

"Go, 55-David," replied the dispatcher before she could get an answer from Bosco.

"Are you holding any messages for this unit?" he asked. Faith rolled her eyes, but held her tongue. She knew he was worried about being this far away from Jennifer and the kids for the first time – despite all the people up at home looking after her.

"Negative, David. We have the instructions from Lieutenant," the dispatcher advised him.

"Yeah, 10-4, Central," Bosco replied and clipped the microphone back onto his vest.

"Bos. She's fine. You've gotta try and relax," Faith told him.

"I'm relaxed," he said unconvincingly, earning a stare from Faith.

"I am," he protested as the radio crackled to life. "Thank God!" Bosco said, grateful for a distraction.

They listened to the call and Bosco swung the car around to the right direction as Faith flipped on the lights and siren.

"Yeah, thank God, a domestic dispute," Faith said with disgust as she was drowned out by the siren and the sound of the engine being gunned. She couldn't help but notice the slight grin on Bosco's face. She knew he'd missed the action, no matter how much he said he didn't.

* * *

Jennifer had just finished accompanying a patient from the E.R. to the operating room. She watched for a little while from the observation area. She missed it – a lot.

She was leaving the operating room suite on her way back to the E.R. when she ran into Dr. Samuels coming out of the stairwell.

"Jennifer! Good to see you. You're looking well. Not overdoing it, I trust," he said in his usually jovial voice.

"Roger," she acknowledged. "I'm feeling well and no, I'm not overdoing it. In fact, I feel like I'm underdoing it – if that's really a word."

"Only when referring to my wife's cooking," he replied sarcastically. "Now, let's not rush things. Don't want to come back all the way too soon. We talked about this," he reminded her.

"No, I believe that you and my..., Maurice made that decision," she reminded him, tripping over the word 'husband.'

"Your husband's voice bore no weight with Administration here, Jennifer," he told her. "We all just want to make sure that you get the best possible result and are able to come back all the way without having a setback," Roger Samuels retorted.

Jennifer walked over to look out the window. Dr. Samuels slowly followed her. "How are things going at home?"

"Great," she said, unable to hide the sarcasm in her voice. "There's a man in my house that I barely know, who is the father of my son, and step-father to my daughter – the daughter of my dead husband," she finished, taking a deep breath as she turned to face him.

Dr. Samuels put a calming hand on her arm. "I'm sorry," she said, letting out the breath that she was apparently holding.

"Nothing to be sorry about. I'm sure it's a very difficult situation. Has there been any memories coming back yet?" he asked her.

Jennifer thought back to last night when she'd seen him cleaning the gun and the fear she felt from the memory was fresh in her chest again. Then she thought of their kiss during the night and she softened – fresh tears stinging her eyes at the frustration of wanting her memory back. "Bits and pieces. Nothing I've been able to piece together yet," she confided. "But, I do feel trust of him," she said, not sure what made her realize that feeling just now.

"Well, that's a start," Dr. Samuels told her. "He's at home with the kids?"

"No. Actually, he went back to work today," she said, looking at her watch. "He'll be there in the City until the weekend," she told him, noting by the time that he was well into his shift. She was surprised he hadn't called her yet.

"Good. Maybe getting back to a regular routine will help. Do you have any help at home?" he asked.

"I don't need help at home. I'm not an invalid," she said with agitation. "I'm sorry. I'm fine at home, but my sister's ready to help out. All I have to do is say the word."

"I'm sure you are fine," he told her, as he heard his name being paged to one of the floors and her pager sounded, indicating that there was a trauma case coming into the E.R.

"Ahhh, our public beckons for us," he said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Chin up! My door is always open," he reminded her as he headed off down the hallway and she waved as she headed through the door to the stairwell leading to the E.R.

* * *

"Okay, give it to me," Jennifer said, arriving in the E.R. and noticing a larger than normal number of staff assembling. That meant one of two things – either there was more than one patient or it was a member of the emergency services – a firefighter, police officer or EMS personnel – coming through the door at any moment.

She couldn't explain it, but she had a tight, nervous feeling in her chest that only tightened more when she was told that paramedics were bringing in a wounded police officer.

"A policeman with a gunshot wound from a shot fired while he was driving by an abandoned building. He crashed the police car. Paramedics say he's unconscious with a gunshot to the left shoulder and a probable fracture to his right leg. Also, possible abdominal wound – maybe spleen," the nurse that took the radio call relayed.

The description of the wounds only heightened her anxiety, although she couldn't say just why. "How far out?" she asked instead as she put on a gown, face shield and gloves.

"Mmm, about 3 minutes by now," the nurse told her. She didn't notice the lull in the action at first, but then noticed that many of them seemed to be looking at her.

"Dr. Boscorelli?" the nurse repeated.

"Um, yes, Linda?" she replied quickly, realizing they were looking to her to start them off.

"You want us to start like usual?" Linda asked.

"That's the protocol," Jennifer replied nonchalantly, walking toward the entrance to the E.R. to wait with the rest of the initial trauma personnel, while those assigned to set things up went about their tasks.

As she approached the door, it opened automatically and she was thankful for the crisp breeze that assaulted her as she walked out into the ambulance bay. She heard the sound of the approaching siren. Funny how the sound of the siren seemed to adapt to the urgency of the approaching patient, she thought.

A moment later, the ambulance pulled up and the back doors flew open. Jennifer saw it out of the corner of her eye, but went about her business as the onslaught of police officers began to inundate the emergency area.

The patient was removed from the ambulance and every available hand went to work on the trauma assessment. Jennifer glanced at the face and form of the wounded officer and drew in a sharp breath.

TBC...


	20. Chapter 20

Waiting Is The Hardest Part

Chapter 20

Bosco glanced at his watch as he filled out the paperwork for their latest arrest. Faith watched him from across the desk while she worked on her paperwork.

"Why don't you just call her?" Faith asked. "It's perfectly normal. You used to do it before," she noted.

"I know. But, this isn't before. I don't want her to think I don't trust her with her own kids," he explained. "She's aggravated enough with everyone checking up on her."

"Can't say that I blame her," Faith said, staring over at their prisoner in the cell. "It's gotta be pretty freaky waking up and not remembering that your husband died years ago; you re-married and have another kid."

"Sounds like a soap opera," quipped the prisoner.

"Shut up!" they said in unison. Bosco emphasized the sentiment by throwing a discarded ball of paper at the door to the holding cell.

"Jeez, I'm just sayin'," the prisoner whined back.

"And I'm just sayin', 'shut up!'" Bosco repeated, sliding the chair back and walking over to pour his fourth cup of coffee.

"Bos, you're gonna be up all night. At least have the decaf stuff," Faith suggested.

Bosco looked into the cup of thick, dark coffee he'd just poured, made a face and threw the whole thing in the garbage. "Who the hell makes this stuff anyway?" he asked rhetorically.

"Just go call her!" Faith ordered him. He threw her a look as if saying, "Don't tell me what to do," and then walked out of the room toward the phones across the hall.

"I saw that!" he yelled across to her as she tried to stifle a smile.

* * *

Jennifer sat in the corner of one of the empty ER rooms and pulled a chart out of her pile of charts to dictate on. She stared at the cover for a moment, absently fingering the curled pages as she looked at the medical record number and name on the chart -  
"Medical Record No. 147863, Boscorelli, Maurice L."

She flipped open the first page and flipped through the cover page to the admission sheet. This page listed the standard information – date and time of admission, reason for admission, initial diagnosis:

"Admitting Diagnosis: Through-and-through gunshot wound to left shoulder; closed mid-shaft fracture of right tibia and fibula; deep laceration to scalp with concussion; laceration of spleen; multiple bruises and contusions, slight hypothermia from exposure. Patient to be admitting from recovery room to ICU.

Admitting Physician: Jennifer Tate, M.D.

Surgeon: Jennifer Tate, M.D.

Admission Note:

... white male, police officer, who sustained injuries suffered from a gunshot wound and subsequent rollover vehicle accident. Paramedics report that patient was apparently ambushed while transporting a prisoner from Albany to New York City. Patient's partner was killed during the ambush. Subsequent investigation by the New York State Police shows that the Officer Boscorelli suffered a gunshot wound prior to the car wreck.

Patient was unconscious upon arrival to this Emergency Room and was triaged with the standard protocol. Findings upon initial evaluation are as stated in the admitting diagnosis, above. Patient was stabilized (see care notes within this chart) and moved to the Operating Room for exploration of the injury to the spleen, the gunshot wound, and laceration to the scalp. No surgical repair was deemed necessary and all wounds were well cleaned and irrigated. Sutures were administered by Dr. Tate and the patient was then moved to the Recovery Room before being moved to the ICU for further monitoring as stated in the physician's and nurse's notes within this chart."

Jennifer stared at the page until the words blurred. She thought back to her initial reaction to seeing the officer that was brought into the hospital tonight. He bore a striking resemblance to Maurice and she couldn't shake the feeling of dread she'd felt at seeing him lying there. It was a feeling of déjà vu and it took her a moment to re-group and go on with her initial assessment and treatment of the patient.

Now, after reading Maurice's chart, she shivered again at the eeriness of how similar the injuries were. She was startled by the sound of her cell phone ringing in the pocket of her lab coat.

She reached for it, hoping that there wasn't a problem with one of the kids. The babysitter had called a short time ago to report that Jordan and Jason were doing well and eager to see her. She'd assured them that she would be home shortly.

"Hello, this is Dr. Ta.., um, Dr. Boscorelli," she answered and was rewarded with silence on the other end. "Hello?" she repeated.

"Um, hi. It's me – Maurice. Can you talk, or is this a bad time?" he asked, not missing her stumble over her name.

"Oh, hello. No, it's quiet right now. Are you alright?" she asked, suddenly remembering that he was working. She flashed back on the scene from a short while ago in her own Emergency Room. There were still plenty of police officers and such around waiting to hear news of their co-worker.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thought I'd give a call and see how you were doing? I was going to call the kids, but I got tied up on an arrest and it got pretty late. I figured they'd be sleeping. Did you talk to them today?" he asked, making small talk, but just grateful to hear her voice.

"I talked to Lisa, the sitter, a short time ago. She said they were doing good, but waiting for me to come home. She said they miss you," she offered also.

"Yeah, it's weird being away from them too. It's been so long..," he said and then trailed off. "So, how's your day going? Busy?" he asked.

"Not too bad. Steady," she said, surprised by how soothing it was to hear his voice as well. "You?"

"Not too bad. Just some minor stuff. I should get out on time though. You still have the number for the place down here in your phone, right?" he asked.

"Yeah. I saw it there when I was looking for another number earlier. So, does it feel good to be back at work?" she asked, making small talk.

"Kind of. I miss you guys though," he said, hoping that she realized he meant her too.

Jennifer felt a blush to her cheeks at what he said. She put a hand to her lips, remembering the tenderness of his kiss last night. "We miss you too," she offered.

"Well, I guess I'll let...," he started when she interrupted.

"I had a police officer come in tonight through the E.R. He had some serious injuries and I had some memories I think. It shook me up for a minute, but I was able to hold it together," she said.

"You're okay, though?" he asked.

"Yeah, but.., well, it was weird," she said, not sure how much more she should say about it.

"I'll bet. Anyone we know?" Bosco said.

"What?" she asked.

"The cop. Anyone we know?" he repeated.

"Oh, no. It was a new guy. He was shot while driving by an abandoned building and then crashed his car.

"Sounds familiar," Bosco said, thinking back to how they'd met.

"Yeah. I was just looking over your chart from your incident. Very similar injuries. He'll be fine too," she told him.

"Of course – he had the best taking care of him," Bosco said.

"I couldn't do the surgery though," she said, and Bosco heard the disappointment in her voice.

"You will, Jen. Soon," he reassured her.

"Yeah. I hope so. I can't believe how much I miss it," she said, trying to brighten her tone.

"Well, you sound tired. You heading home soon?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I was just getting ready to leave, actually," she told him, standing up and walking around the room while she talked.

"Okay. Look, give me a call anytime. If I don't answer, its because I'm on a call, but leave a message and I'll call right back," he reminded her.

"I will. You too," she said.

"Okay. Give the kids a kiss for me and tell them I'll call them tomorrow," Bosco told her, feeling slightly better after talking to her.

"I will. Be careful," she told him.

"Okay. G'night. Love you," he said, hanging up the phone.

"G'night, Maurice," she said, catching the last of what he said as she closed her phone. 'Love you,' she thought about what he said.

* * *

And so, the week progressed. Bosco slept poorly, went to work, called home for the rest of the week. Now, it was finally Friday and he could head home after work. He usually didn't come home until early Saturday morning, but he really wanted to get home, so he told Jennifer not to be alarmed when she heard the door opening around 1:30 in the morning.

He was changing into his street clothes after their shift. Faith closed her locker and walked over to him as he was gathering up his stuff.

"So, you're heading up tonight?" she said.

"Yup," he said absently, putting some things into his locker and slamming the door.

"Okay. Say hi to everyone. Drive carefully," she told him.

"I will. Have a good weekend. I'll see you on Monday," he told her as they walked out together.

"See ya, Lieu," they called in unison as they walked by his office.

"Boscorelli!" called the Lieutenant.

"Yeah, Lieu," he answered, taking a step back toward the office. Faith waited a few steps ahead of him.

"Everything go okay this week?" Lieutenant Swersky asked, referring to Bosco being back at work and things going on at home.

"Yeah, Lieu. Thanks. I'm heading home right now," Bosco told him.

"That a good idea? Maybe you should get some sleep first," he told him. Faith smiled at the sound of Swersky giving his fatherly advice.

"I'm fine. I just need to be home," Bosco answered.

"Okay. See you next week then," he said, dismissing him.

"Right," Bosco answered and started walking toward the door with Faith again.

* * *

Bosco settled into the driver's seat of his car with an upbeat feeling at the news that Jen was starting to have some more memories. He hoped it wouldn't be long before her memory returned and they could go on with their lives. He waved to Faith who insisted on taking the train so that she didn't delay him getting on the road home, he started the engine and headed home, looking forward to spending some time with his family.

TBC...


	21. Chapter 21

Waiting Is The Hardest Part

Chapter 21

Bosco pulled in the driveway, turned off the headlights, put the car in park, and turned off the engine. He sat for a moment, feeling how good it felt to be home. Getting out of the car, he felt the crisp night air envelop him. Taking in a deep breath of the clean air, he looked around the immediate area – something he had come to do automatically. He looked up at the cloudless sky and noticed how bright the stars seemed tonight. In fact, they may very well have been the first stars he'd seen all week.

He gave one last glance up and down the street and headed to the front door, feeling for the front door key amongst the keys on the keychain with his fingers. He made a mental note of the things that needed to be done over the weekend – cut the lawn; that door could use a fresh coat of paint; Jordan had her t-ball game on Saturday too. He couldn't wait to get started. He enjoyed puttering around, working on the house, and spending time with the his family. He quietly put the key in the lock and slowly turned the knob. Once opened, he noticed that Jennifer had left a light on in the living room as well as the light over the stove in the kitchen. He gently closed and locked the door behind him and placed his keys on the table by the door. He hung his jacket on the coat rack in the corner and slipped his shoes off so he didn't make noise.

He walked into the living room, peeling his sweatshirt off and throwing it onto the bed in "his" room on the way by. He saw some papers lying on the table near the lamp that had been left on and as he approached them, he was startled by Jennifer lying on the couch, asleep, a book resting on her stomach. He looked at her for a moment and then shifted his attention back to the table where there were two pictures; one from Jordan and one from Jason – obviously with some help from Jordan.

"Welcome Home, Daddy" and "We missed you" were written in crayon across the front, with self-portraits of them out on the back lawn – "Mommy" and "Daddy" clearly marked and holding hands.

He smiled and looked back at Jennifer who still slept peacefully. He reached down and gently tugged at her toes. She stirred and slowly opened her eyes.

"Hey," he whispered. "What're you still doing up?" he asked as she wiped at her eyes and sat up.

"I was waiting for you. I wanted to make sure you got home alright? What time is it?" she asked, looking over at the clock at the same time that Bosco told her it was almost 2:00 a.m.

"You must be exhausted," she said sleepily. "Are you hungry?" she asked walking toward the kitchen to make him something to eat.

"No. Jen. It's okay. Go to sleep. You didn't have to wait up," he said as she stopped and turned to him.

"I'm okay," she said with a shy smile. "I've been sleeping for the last two hours," she admitted. "I didn't want you to come home to a dark, quiet house. I always hated that after working all night during my residency."

He chuckled. "Go on up. I want to look in on the kids and then I'll see you in the morning," he said, deciding to head for the kitchen for a drink of juice.

"Goodnight," she said and headed for the stairs.

"Thanks for waiting up," he said as he continued into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. He reached in and grabbed the carton of juice.

"Use a glass!" she shouted in a whisper to him as he was lifting the carton to his lips. He almost dropped the carton on the floor at the familiar command. He put the carton down and looked around the corner to the stairs, but she had already gone up, apparently unaware of the comment that she'd made so many times before.

* * *

He climbed the stairs after putting the juice away and headed to Jason's room. He saw him illuminated by the nightlight – sleeping on his tummy, with his knees up under him so that his behind stuck up in the air. Bosco was amazed that anyone could sleep that way, but that had been his position of choice since he was born. He bent down and took in the baby powder scent of him and then put the blanket back over him. He put his hand on the side of his cheek to feel the softness of his baby skin.

He walked across the hallway into Jordan's room and saw her illuminated by her nightlight as well. He picked her doll up off the floor and tucked it in the covers alongside her. Jordan stirred and her eyes fluttered open briefly.

"Daddy?" she said, recognizing the scent of him more than the fact that he was standing alongside her.

"Yes, Bug. It's me. Thanks for the pictures. I'll see you in the morning," he whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek and tucking in her blanket around her.

All he was rewarded with was a mumble of some kind. He went back out into the hallway and headed toward the stairs. He saw a flickering light coming from the master bedroom and looked in on his way by. The television was on, with the sound turned very low. Jennifer was asleep.

Bosco smiled as he walked in to turn off the television. Jennifer had always cursed the fact that she always had to have the television on when she was trying to go to sleep. She said she'd picked up the habit when she was in her own apartment after college and medical school. She'd been used to the noise of the dorms – there was always something going on at all hours – and when she'd gotten a place of her own she couldn't sleep without the noise. So, she'd resorted to leaving the television on until she feel asleep, setting the timer to turn it off.

The timer on this set had been broken for a long time, but Bosco had always been the one to turn it off for her. He reached over to push the button on the television when he noticed some opened books on the desk in the corner. Walking over to look at them, he saw that she'd had the photo albums out. There were pictures of their wedding and of the kids scattered across the desk. She must have been going over them, trying to remember.

He put the pictures back down and walked over to turn off the set. He glanced back at his sleeping wife and then walked out and down the stairs, wishing he could've lay down next to her. He longed to feel her alongside him while he slept.

* * *

She felt the hot sun shining on her face and a warm breeze brushing against her skin. She lay on the blanket and watched and listened to the sights and sounds of the kids splashing in the water. She saw Jason walking toward the water, his bucket and shovel in hand, and Jordan was running back toward her, being chased by a wave hitting the beach. She started to get up hurriedly to go with Jason so that he didn't get knocked over by the wave and go under.

"I've got him, Hon," she heard from behind her and she instantly recognized the voice of Maurice. She watched him charge toward Jordan in a fake tackling move as he headed toward Jason just as the wave reached his toes and he screeched with delight. She was laughing as Jordan reached her and flopped down on the blanket next to her, soaking wet from the ocean.

"Having fun, Jord?" she asked, pushing her wet hair from her face while checking to see if she was getting too red and needed more sunblock.

"Yeah, Mommy. Daddy said maybe we could go to the fish restaurant tonight? Can we? Please?" she pleaded.

"Daddy said that, huh?" Jennifer replied as she handed her daughter a juice from the cooler. "We can probably do that then."

"Yay!" she cheered as Bosco carried Jason over toward them.

"What 'yay'?" Bosco asked as he reached them and put Jason down on the blanket.

"Apparently we're going the fish restaurant tonight," she said, raising an eyebrow as she looked at him. He was silhouetted by the sun behind him and she took in the sight of his physical condition. It always took her breath away and she swore he stood that way on purpose.

"What?" he said, taking the look on her face.

"You know what," she said simply.

"I know. You want me," he said, in her ear as he sat down next to her. She poked him in the ribs.

"You're bad," she said, laughing.

"You have no idea, Mrs. Boscorelli," he teased.

"Oh, I know exactly how bad you are, Mr. Boscorelli," she said, leaning into him and meeting his lips with her own.

"Yuck!" Jordan yelled, drawing their attention.

"Oh yeah, Jason needs a new diaper," Bosco said. "It's your turn," he said, reaching into the cooler for a beer.

"Gee, thanks," she replied, reaching into the bag and grabbing the supplies for the job. "We should start packing everything up if we're going to get cleaned up and ready to go to dinner. I don't want to get there too late because then we'll be stuck waiting for a table."

"Yes, Ma'am," Bosco said, standing up and saluting. She watched him as he started collecting all the beach toys that were strewn about.

He looked out at the water and then, over his shoulder, said, "Gonna be a beautiful sunset tonight."

"Maybe once we get these two down for the night, we can sit on the deck and watch the sun go down," she told him.

"Ummm..., maybe, but I'll want some dessert," he told her.

"Oh, I've got your dessert," she said.

"I know that you do," he answered as she finished cleaning up from her task.

She watched him continue to gather everything up, the warm sun on her face and the memories of the day making her smile...

* * *

Jennifer slowly opened her eyes, the smile still on her face. She wasn't sure where she was at first and then realized that she must have been dreaming. The warm morning sun shining on her face, coupled with the smell of pancakes cooking, had woken her up.

The memory of the dream she'd been having was still on her mind and she sat up and grabbed her robe off the end of the bed. She walked over to the window to take in the start of the day and noticed the pictures on the desk. She wasn't dreaming, she was remembering – the pictures of one of their vacations had triggered the memory and her mind replayed it during the night.

As she looked out the window, she saw Jordan and Jason playing in the backyard while Maurice made them all breakfast. Their usual morning ritual. Maurice hated to waste a minute of the time he was home and always rose early to take a run before the kids woke up. Jordan was sitting on the old tree stump in the backyard and Maurice walked out and kneeled down alongside her. She smiled as she remembered the day of their wedding. Maurice had taken off his coat and put it over the stump as he talked to Jordan so that she wouldn't get her beautiful dress dirty before the ceremony. She was feeling a little anxious about walking down the aisle as the flower girl. He was so gentle and good to her right from the start. He made a wonderful father and she remembered the look on his face when she'd told him that they were going to have Jason. First he paled, then you couldn't wipe the smile from his face for days afterward...,

She gasped as the reality hit her. She was remembering! Remembering everything! Flashes of all that had happened over the years came flooding back, seemingly all at once. She couldn't seem to catch her breath and she grabbed onto the edge of the desk to steady herself.

"Calm down," she told herself as she watched her husband and children in the yard below. She tried to concentrate on taking slow, even breaths, but the rush of everything coming back so quickly prevented it. Memory after memory came flooding over her. She felt herself getting weak - she was hyperventilating.

She reached over and cranked the window open a little wider. She called out to Maurice, but she didn't think her voice carried. The last thing she remembered was the room spinning and her loss of balance. Then, everything was dark.

TBC...


	22. Chapter 22

Waiting Is The Hardest Part

Chapter 22

Bosco was putting the finishing touches on breakfast after bringing the kids in from the yard. He glanced at the clock – 10:00 a.m.

"Hey, Jord. What don't you go wake Mommy up. Tell her breakfast is served," he called over his shoulder, glancing toward Jason to see that he was eating the last of the Cheerios that he'd put on his high chair tray.

"Okay!" she called out happily as she headed for the stairs.

Bosco put the orange juice and muffins he'd purchased on the counter and laughed as he watched Jason trying to get the lone Cheerio that was stuck to his hand off.

He heard Jordan yelling and thought how much Jennifer would appreciate that in her ear first thing in the morning when he realized that it was an anguished yelling. He glanced over at Jason to see that he was okay and headed toward the stairs.

As he neared the stairs he could hear Jordan crying. He started to take the stairs two or three at a time and heard Jordan's words. "Mommy! Please wake up! Daddy!"

"Jordan! What's wrong?" he yelled back to her as he rounded the corner and took in the sight of Jennifer lying on the floor and Jordan sitting next to her, grabbing her face and shaking her mother.

"Jordan! Go down and stay with Jason," he told her to get her out of the way until he could find out exactly what the problem was. As he fell to his knees next to Jennifer, he instinctively grabbed for her wrist to check for a pulse. He glanced at her chest to see that it rose and fell with each breath and then let himself take a breath. Noticing that Jordan was still wailing at his side, he gently took hold of her hands and pulled her face toward him.

"Jordan. I need you to go and take care of your brother. Mommy's okay. I'll take care of her," he said, waiting to see that the words had made it through Jordan's hysteria.

She looked back at her mother and fresh tears sprang to her eyes. Giving her hands a gentle squeeze, he repeated. "I've got Mommy, Jordan. You need to go and check on Jason for me. Go now, Jordan," he said as he heard a sigh come from Jennifer's lips.

Jordan ran from the room to go and check on her brother and Bosco brought his full attention to Jennifer as he reached for the phone off the desk and dialed 911.

"Jen? Can you hear me, Honey. Wake up," he called to her as she moved her head slightly from side to side. She let out a soft moan and he saw that she tried to open her eyes.

"Jen. I'm here. It's okay. Just relax," he said, as he waited for the operator to answer on the other end.

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at the ceiling and then around her as if to figure out where she was.

"Yes, I need an ambulance at 1417 Birch Lane. My wife is sick," he said to the 911 operator on the other end of the phone. "I don't know. I think she passed out," he said in answer the operator's questions.

"Maurice?" Jennifer managed to say as she came to more. She started to try and sit up, but felt Bosco restrain her.

"Jen. Just stay there and relax. Help's on the way. Do you know what happened?" he asked her, trying to figure out what happened.

"I think I passed out," she said, seeming confused.

"Okay. Do you know why? Did you feel okay when you got up?" he asked as she tried to sit up again. "Maybe you should just stay still for right now. There's an ambulance on the way," he told her.

"No. I want to sit up. I don't need an ambulance. I just hyperventilated," she said, remembering what had happened. He helped her to sit up and lean against the side of the bed.

"Okay, but no more moving around. You might have hit your head on something when you fell," he ordered her.

"Yes, Doctor," she said teasingly. This brought his attention to her face and he saw a different look in her eyes then.

"Jen?" he said, questioningly.

"Maurice," she said softly, putting a hand on the side of his face. "I remember."

"You remember? Remember what?" he said, trying to figure out if there was somewhere they were supposed to be today.

"I remember everything," she said and he saw a smile come across her face.

He just stared at her for a moment as the sound of sirens could be heard coming down the road.

"Whaâ, you meanâ, you remember? Everything?" he said, the meaning of her words finally settling in his brain.

"You remember everything?" he repeated and she laughed.

"Yes, Maurice. All of it. The day we met at that rest stop, you coming into the ER after your accident. The day I fell in love with you – the same day that I met you – everything," she said, holding her arms out for him.

He leaned toward her and embraced her, feeling her return the embrace. It had been so long since he'd felt that and he'd wondered if he'd ever feel her love again.

"Oh, Jen," was all he could say as they held onto each other. He broke the embrace as he heard the sounds of footsteps hurrying up the stairs, led by Jordan.

"I remember the wedding, having Jason, our vacations at the beach. All of it," she said, the excitement in her making her talk faster.

"Up here. Mommy fell down," Jordan said and they each heard the fear in her voice.

"Jordan, it's okay," Jennifer called to her. "I'm okay, Honey." Jordan escorted the paramedics and the police officer into the room and, seeing her mother awake and talking, ran over and clung to her.

"Hey, Doc," one of the paramedics said to her as he knelt down and opened up his bag. "What's the problem?"

"Hey, Danny. Nothing, really. I just hyperventilated and they over-reacted," she said, embarrassment showing in her cheeks as Danny began to take her vital signs. Bosco reached down and took Jordan in his arms so they could check Jennifer over.

"Well, you know the drill, Doc," he said, apologetically, but still meaning to do his job.

"I know, Danny," she answered. She added, "But, I'm telling you now that I'm refusing treatment."

"Jen," Bosco started to object, but the look she threw him told him not to.

"I'm fine, Maurice. I'm a doctor, remember?" she said to him as Danny finished taking her pulse, blood pressure and respirations.

"Did you fall and get hurt anywhere?" he asked her.

"It was more that I sat down first, but I didn't get hurt anywhere," she answered. He took out his stethoscope and was going to listen to her heart when she finally had had enough.

"Really," she said, pushing his hands away. "I'm fine. Just let me sign the paper and then you can go help someone who really needs it."

Not that Bosco had any say in the matter, but Danny looked up at him as if to ask if he agreed. "Thanks, guys," Bosco told them both. "I'll make sure she gets checked out. Sorry to bring you out for nothing."

"No problem. We're just glad it's nothing serious. Take care, Doc," Danny said, packing up his bag.

"Oh, man! Jason!" Bosco suddenly remembered, as he set Jordan on the floor next to him. He started toward the hallway in a hurry when the police officer that had come up with the paramedics called to him.

"It's okay. My partner's with him. She's great with kids," he said.

Danny and his partner helped Jennifer who was getting to her feet. They stayed next to her for a moment until they were sure that she wasn't going to have any problems and then said their goodbyes as Bosco ran down the stairs to Jason.

"Thanks again, guys," Jennifer called to the medics as Jordan climbed up alongside her on the bed and hugged her.

"No problem, Doc. We'll see you at the hospital," they called over their shoulders as they headed downstairs.

"Mommy, you scared me again," Jordan scolded her mother.

"I'm sorry, Bug. I just got overexcited and breathed too fast," she explained.

"Excited about what?" Jordan asked her as Bosco and Jason came back in the room.

"Mommy remembers everything, Jordan," he told her, smiling at Jennifer as Jason held his arms out for his mother.

TBC


	23. Chapter 23

Waiting Is The Hardest Part

Chapter 23

Jennifer came downstairs from putting the kids to bed. The last of the company had just left after a long day of joy and reminiscing. Everyone had come over when they'd called to let them know that Jennifer remembered everything. The celebration had lasted until late into the evening.

Jennifer glanced at the clock on the mantle as she descended the stairs. She was still worried about Faith, Fred and the kids driving all the way home to the City at this late hour. They had offered to let them stay here and start back in the morning, but they'd declined.

Now, Jennifer looked around her home as she walked into the family room, picking up little things the kids had left out as she went. She put the toys into the wooden toy box that was in the corner of the room and then turned and walked along the back of the couch that faced the fireplace – a nice, cozy fire burning that had been lit earlier in the evening by Maurice. He had put more logs on the fire while she was getting the kids off to bed.

She stopped behind him as he sat on the couch, his head against the back. She could tell by the peaceful look on his face and the rhythm of his breathing that he was sound asleep. She just looked at him for a moment, wondering how she could ever forget that she was married to a man as wonderful as he was. The love she felt made her chest ache and she walked around to the front side of the couch and gently sat down alongside him.

She stared at the fire for a moment and turned to him and studied his face, the memory of each feature – even the scar that ran from just at the edge of his left eyebrow into his brow familiar to her now. She thought back to her confusion when she'd first woken up in the hospital and found out that this person that she had no memory of was supposed to be her husband and the father and stepfather of her children.

He'd been so patient all this time; never pushing her, never showing frustration that he surely must have felt, never seeming the least bit bothered by having to sleep in the guest bedroom.... Her thoughts trailed off suddenly as she realized something.

She'd been watching him all day during their celebration and she came to realize something – even if she hadn't ever met him before, there was an attraction there – she'd felt it that first time in the rest area where they'd first met, and she'd felt it today while he mingled amongst their family and friends. He'd caught her watching him periodically and their gazes connected for what seemed like minutes but had, in reality, only been seconds.

And now, here she was, alone with him for the first time all day. She felt her pulse quicken, her breathing pick up slightly. She watched him sleep and felt the deepness of her love for him.

Slowly and gently, she leaned over and kissed him lightly on the mouth. He stirred slightly and she sat back and watched him. Slowly his eyes opened, sleep still showing in them.

He raised his head up off the back of the couch. "What's wrong, Jen? Are you okay?" he asked, coming fully awake now.

She put a finger to his lips to quiet him. In a whisper she said, "I'm fine. I've just realized how much I've missed you." He kissed her finger and she brought it back to her own lips. Lowering her hand to his chest for support, she leaned forward again and this time her kiss was more urgent, seeking him out. She found him. Slowly, he started to return her kiss.

She felt his heartbeat quicken beneath her hand on his chest. She started to pull back, but he moved with her – not wanting to give up the taste of her just yet. Their hands began to explore each other urgently – almost as if they were new to each other.

A few more moments of this and Jennifer had to pull away – he'd taken her breath away with his touch. "What?" he asked, concerned.

"Nothing," she replied breathlessly. "Do you remember the first time we sat on this couch together?"

He nodded slowly and she noticed the look on his face change. She removed his shirt and splayed her hands across his muscular chest. He leaned into her, his kiss more urgent, searching. While he kissed her, his fingers worked at the buttons on the front of her shirt. Before she knew it, she had only her lace bra between them. She looked at him now and leaned over and placed a feather light kiss on the faint scar that remained from his gunshot wound and heard and felt him draw in a sharp breath.

"Jen," he said in a low growl, wanting to take her now.

Knowing what he wanted, she moved from the couch to the carpeted floor in front of the fireplace, pulling her down to the floor with him. "Make love to me, Maurice."

* * *

An hour later, he awoke first right there on the floor in front of the fireplace where they'd made love until they were both spent. The room was colder now that the fire had died out – only smoldering embers remained.

There, in the glow of the embers, he took in her features. She looked much more peaceful now. Not like the times he had looked in on her upstairs before she had remembered.

She must have felt his stare because her eyes slowly opened and she smiled at the sight of him looking at her.

"I'm sorry. Do I know you?" she asked, a teasing smile across her face.

"Would you like me to introduce myself again?" he asked, moving closer to her again and she felt his warmth.

"Yes, but not here. Let's take this upstairs to our room. It's too cold down here," she said.

He helped her to her feet and took in the sight of her naked body before him. He took her in his arms and held her close, their passions rising again. Jennifer reached over and grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch, wrapping it around Bosco's shoulders as he lifted her into his arms. He carried her up the stairs and into their room where they loved each other again before falling into a deep and peaceful sleep for the remainder of the night.

* * *

The End.


End file.
